Tainnin Chronicles:Legend of the Armageddon Chakra
by Shadow Shinobi57
Summary: Chapter 6 is up! Dark intentions are revealed by an unexpected group. Rated M for multiple reasons. Multiple genres mixed in. You guess the pairings. Please review.
1. A New Start

_Alright this is my first fic! First chapter follows Naruto, then chapter 2 and on follows my OC, my friend's OC, and my other friends OC. This may suck, but just bear with me. So, here it is!_

_Matetso: Uh...aren't you forgetting something?_

_Um...No. But you forgot to say your line._

_Matetso: Huh? Oh yeah. shadow shinobi 57 does not own Naruto or any of the characters relating to such. However, he does own Matetso Dantetsu. Okay, where's my 5 bucks?_

_Fine, just take it. -hands 5 dollars to Matetso- Okay, enjoy!_

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Tainnin Chronicles

Legend of the Armageddon Chakra

Chapter 1

A New Start

_"Sasuke…" _Naruto was yet again pondering on the subject strewing through several minds during the time. Recently, one of the genin members of Squad 7 had separated himself away from his friends and the whole village, too. He didn't have much of his mind around anyone or anything else. Sure, he would accept the normal amount of missions and would train as if he had enormous challenges ahead. However, a small amount of his free time would be spent sitting on his rocky outpost, staring at the million yen view below the setting sun, contemplating on his so called, "best friend".

"Sasuke… How could you? …HOW COULD YOU?!" As he released his anger, this sentence could be heard a number of times from it reflecting off of objects in the distance. His shrill cry even upset resting birds, as Naruto saw many numbers of them take flight. His anger subsiding, the genin jumped off his rock, and walked unhurriedly in the direction of the village. Thoughts of the betrayer still floated through his mind, and his only hope from an outburst of anger came from who was standing at the front gate.

"Naruto! Where have you been?" Sakura certainly wouldn't have deliberately gone searching for Naruto unless she had to. So obviously, Naruto was wanted for a reason other than her own. "I don't understand why you keep screaming every time you sit on that rock."

"Never mind about that." He wasn't in the mood for bickering and ranting about how he could resolve his anger in other ways without startling everyone in earshot. "Who the hell wants me now?"

"Lady Tsunade. It seemed urgent this time. I haven't seen her act this way for a while."

"Whatever." At the same speed as before, he trudged his way to the Hokage Tower. He wasn't quite as eager to hear what the village leader had to say like he would normally. Whenever anyone bothered him while he was bummed, he acted as if he were a living embodiment sadness and rage. To his surprise, though he showed little of it, Sakura was walking beside him, abnormally slow to match Naruto's speed.

"Why are you walking with me?" Naruto asked halfheartedly. He would wait about 4 seconds before her response.

"Well, I can't just ignore one of my allies when they're clearly depressed about something. …And I can tell when they need to talk about it. So, what's bothering you?" Naruto didn't speak up, most likely because he felt the answer to her inquiry was evident. "It's Sasuke, isn't it?" He only nodded at her follow-up question.

"I can't help but feel that there's nothing we can do about it." Said Naruto in a nearly inaudible voice. "…I mean, what if he doesn't come back?" Sakura felt a lump form in her throat, and began to feel tears well up in her eyes. She shook it off, luckily without drawing the attention of her teammate. They continued on their way, not bothering to return the greetings from the other genin of the village. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, when really it only took ten minutes, they arrived at the Hokage Tower. Sakura advanced into a room on the third floor, while Naruto continued up the remaining flights of stairs to the top floor. He still had Sasuke on his mind. It was as if he had it forged into his brain, and it was unrelenting in its mission to keep him reminded of it.

**"He betrayed your village, and you still have him on your mind. Give up, runt. He's not coming back." **So long as he kept this subject floating through his brain, the Nine-Tailed Fox would taunt him for it.

_"Put a sock in it, fuzz ball. I have to pay attention to Grandma Tsunade and her usual grumpy attitude, so it won't be on my mind for much longer."_

**"Whatever. I'm stuck in your body, so I don't want to be forced to hear how you miss some weak genin like yourself. It's nauseating." **Naruto thought this conversation needn't go any further, being that he was barely a foot away from the door. On any other day, he would burst in, and become the victim of Tsunade's short temper. Today, however, he simply knocked on the door, and awaited the response.

"Come in." Tsunade said, with the slightest hint of annoyance. Naruto opened the door to reveal the village leader, the most important individual in this bit of civilization, sleeping in her chair, or so it seemed.

"You wanted to see me, Grandma Tsunade?" Naruto asked unenthusiastically. She awoke with a start, and ultimately fell out of her chair. She clearly didn't see that coming.

"Naruto, why the hell are you here?!" Tsunade said angrily.

"You tell me, you're the one who called me here."

"…Oh! I guess I did." Tsunade wasn't the greatest Hokage that the village had, but she was Hokage nonetheless, and since she was expected to do her best, naptime would have to wait. "Alright. Some complaints have come in. They say that someone with a shrill voice keeps screaming from the rocky outpost about an eighth of a mile outside the village gates. The only one that fits the high-pitched yelling is you."

"…It's not like I have anything better to do when I'm out there."

"Why were you out there in the first place?"

"…Just thinking about Sasuke."

Tsunade saw this coming. "I've told you. Forget about Sasuke, he's not coming back. And besides, thinking about him has made an impact on your mission success. Any failed missions you go on have your teammates returning, stating that you refer to him several times. Whenever that occurs, the mission more than likely ends in failure."

"Will you just shut up about it already?! I wanna know why you called me up here, not get lectured like a spoiled brat!"

"…Fine. A mission just opened up, and I figured you'd want to take it." This lit Naruto's moral like a bonfire. He hadn't had a mission in a while, and looked forward to anything that would make him feel useful. "A message was received by some of the ANBU yesterday. It says that someone is coming to the village, and for some reason, they want it announced."

"Well, who's it from? Maybe it's someone that everyone knows here."

"That's the thing. It doesn't say who wrote it. They just said that they would be arriving by tonight. So, the mission is to track down the moving party, and find out if they are a threat. If so, they must be eliminated."

"Who else will be going?"

Tsunade pondered this for a few moments. She hadn't thought about that, she was only concerned as to whether or not she could get Naruto on the mission. She got through that, but who to have Naruto go with? "…Well, you can handle a mission like this on your own, right?"

Naruto was not expecting this. Going on a mission alone. It was a small dream he had always wanted to come true. "Of course I can! When do I go?"

"Actually, right now."

"Alright! I'll go get ready now!" And with that, he bolted out of the office, not even noticing the now entering Shizune. He nudged against her on the way out, causing her to lose her balance and fall over. The item she had in her hand went flying across the office, luckily being caught by Tsunade.

"What is this, Shizune?" asked the confused Hokage. The sphere she held was so cold, Tsunade had to set it on the desk. It looked like it was a swirling mass of black chakra and lightning, sealed in a solid shell of ice.

"Well, if I had to guess, it's a clue as to who is coming to the village." Tsunade had to give it some thought, although she got the picture after a minute of contemplating.

"I know who's coming!" She shouted. She was ecstatic, and Shizune was clueless as to who would make her so happy.

* * *

At the same time, Naruto was also delighted around the subject of the mission, but for a completely different reason. This mission took his mind off Sasuke, fortunately without him noticing, and it also gave him something do to, a thing that kept eluding him for the past few days. Once he had the appropriate equipment, he set out for the village gates.

Although unorthodox, Naruto figured a small stop at Ichiraku Ramen Shop couldn't hurt. So, instead of heading straight to the gates, he took a right where he should have kept moving forward. The genin soon reached his destination, pulled back the drapes that always hung at the entrance, and took a seat. Not much time passed before Ayame noticed Naruto enter.

"Hey Naruto. You sure look happy." Naruto used his trademark chuckle that many would compare to a child whose mischievous prank was just pulled with success. At Ayame's utterance, Teuchi turned slightly to observe that not only Naruto was sitting in the middle seat, but also he indeed looked as though he received a great fortune.

"It's always good to see that smiling face. So, what's the good news?" Naruto yet again uttered a childish giggle.

"Well, I finally got a mission after all this time. It's been kinda boring lately, and all I've had to do was train. Which is kinda ironic, 'cause without missions, training just isn't all that worth the work."

"So, my knucklehead student has a mission?" Said someone behind Naruto. He spun around to see that his sensei, Kakashi, had snuck up on him for what seemed like the one hundred twenty-eight thousand five hundred and twelfth time. "Well, that's something to look forward to."

"Well technically, I'm on it right now."

"Then, why are you here?" Asked Teuchi.

"I wanted to grab a bowl of ramen to go! This time with shrimp, please."

"You got it!" Teuchi went back to the boiling noodles and flavoring, while Naruto and Kakashi went into conversation.

"So, what kind of mission were you sent on?" Naruto looked at him with his blank expression, poorly attempting to hide how he had forgotten the objective. After a second or five, he remembered.

"Well, Shizune received a notice saying that several ninja were heading this way, and Grandma Tsunade wanted me to see if they were a threat."

_"Hmm…What if they are? Why did Tsunade entrust Naruto with such a task that could pose such a threat?"_

"Anyway," he continued. "I just stopped by to get something to eat, just in case the mission lasts a while."

"Good to know you're thinking ahead. Any idea who the ninja are, or where they're from?" Naruto nodded. This was probably why the mission was given out at all. It might not have been considered such a matter if they knew exactly who was coming. "Hmm…Well, just be vigilant. Unknown threats can be the most dangerous."

Naruto nodded yet again, also giving his grunt of approval. Teuchi then faced the two shinobi with a bowl of steaming ramen, abundant with shrimp, and put a lid on it. He was reaching for a paper sack to put it in, when he saw Naruto reaching for the necessary amount of money in his pocket. "Don't worry this time, Naruto, it's on the house!" He immediately ceased digging through his pockets.

"Wow, thanks!" Teuchi handed him his order. He quickly took hold of it and began walking out. "Bye, guys!" Kakashi was still a bit nervous, but Naruto did have potential, and had grown in strength over the past few weeks. He figured that just letting the slightly ominous feeling of the mission go wouldn't bring negative consequences. Besides, he could be there at a moment's notice to save Naruto's sitting muscle, as he always referred to it as.

"Naruto sure has grown, hasn't he Kakashi?" Said Teuchi.

"Yeah. At this rate, it's likely he'll reach Hokage." If Kakashi's mask weren't covering most of his face, they would have witnessed a slight grin. Actually, they would have seen his other mask. But if his mask wasn't covering his other mask, and if that mask weren't covering his face, a slight grin would have been shown, provided if he wasn't wearing yet another mask. Just then, a bowl of fresh, steaming ramen slid towards him. He glanced up to see Ayame's smiling face, and turned to Teuchi.

"I didn't order this." Said the jonin. Teuchi just looked at him with a wide smile across his face, the way that a proud grandfather would look at a grandson. Lucky for Kakashi, it wasn't for the same reason. "Let me guess. It's on the house."

"Yep." Kakashi continued to stare at him for few more seconds. But, then he just shrugged, grabbed the chopsticks, and began to eat, after removing the masks first. He polished it off after a minute or two, then looked up.

"How did you know that I liked smoked salmon in my ramen?"

"Uh…Lucky guess?" Kakashi got a small bit of suspicion in his eyes, and even Teuchi and Ayame could tell just by looking in the only one of his eyes in view.

"Well, thanks for the ramen." And he began to walk out.

"No problem, Kakashi." Once he was gone, he let out a sigh of relief. Ayame grabbed the bowl, then turned to her father.

"What's wrong?" When she asked, Teuchi grabbed a piece of paper pinned on the wall and showed it to her.

"Naruto swiped this from Kakashi's journal. It says he likes smoked salmon in his ramen."

"…I swear, Naruto is the craziest genin I've known"

"Agreed."

Meanwhile, Naruto approached the outpost he had been on less than an hour previous. The sun wasn't visible at all at this point. The genin then leaped to each ledge leading to the top. He gingerly carried the ramen in his arms, as if it were a precious object of some kind. Ironically, it was to him. Once he got to the peak, he got as comfortable as the rocky surface would let him. Then, with great anticipation and an empty stomach, he reached into the bag, grasping the warm container, and pulled out his treasure. Pulling out the chopsticks afterwards, he set the ramen in his lap.

_"Oh man, this looks good." _

**"Then eat already! I'm starving, too!"**

Naruto acquired an annoyed smirk at the demon's remark, so he began digging in, not wanting to wait any longer. But, after a few bites, the genin glanced up, slurping and swallowing the noodles hanging out of his mouth. He spotted a group of three cloaked figures walking slowly down the trail toward the village. Listening in as much as he could, Naruto could hear them talking a bit, and saw one of the figures land a small punch in the arm to the one next to him. Naruto reached for the pack strapped to his waist just as the three were out of eyesight. Then, a voice came from behind him, only after him hearing an inhaling sound through the nose.

"Mmm! What kind of ramen is that?"

"Oh, it's sesame broth with shrimp. It's- Wait a minute." He spun around to see a cloaked figure. _"Whoa, didn't see that coming." _Without giving a second thought, Naruto lunged at the figure that was standing on a branch in a nearby tree. But, before he could reach him…

"Stardust Chains!" Shouted the figure. Suddenly, golden chains appeared around the genin's wrists and ankles. He was forced against the rock he sat on previously, only now on the side.

"Wait, only one person knows that jutsu." The other two appeared beside the first. They all pulled off their robes to reveal Matetso Dantetsu, Siaratsuke, or Kyno, Hyuga, and Fumatsuke Zeneto.

"Long time no see, knuckle head!" Said Kyno. It was obvious in his nature to make wisecracks, even to those he knew well. "Matetso, get him down. You can't keep him up there forever."

"Oh, I beg to differ." Naruto got another annoyed look on his face at this remark.

"Just do it, Matetso." Said Fumatsuke. Clearly disappointed, Matetso released the jutsu, causing Naruto to fall flat on his face. Getting up, he noticed the three already walking toward the village.

"Hey, Naruto!" Called Matetso. "You coming?" The genin quickly got up, and ran up to the three Tainnin, the name of the rank they were given as the strongest ninja in the village. They broke into conversation early, mainly with Naruto asking questions for the Tainnin to answer. It didn't take long for the four to reach the village gates.

"Guys, you think we should wait until tomorrow to go see Tsunade? I'm beat." Matetso stifled a yawn at the end of his sentence. The others agreed with silent nods then went their separate ways. Before the Tainnin left the village, they had their own homes built, since the Leaf Village became their new home. Upon reaching his house, and stifling a longer and louder yawn, the Tainnin walked into the house and went straight to bed. He didn't bother to take his clothes off, just his combat shoes. He was comfortable in his white training shirt and gray training pants, even if they were weighted and slightly torn. So, Matetso slept, half looking forward to the day ahead. But, since everyone knew him in the village, he grew to dread how many people were anxious to see him. He figured that he would worry about the groups of familiar when they went after him.

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_Alright then. Give me positive reviews please. I'm still a new member, and this is my first fic. And with that, I hope to get the next chapter up ASAP. If I really get on it, it should take only 3-4 days. so, R&R!_


	2. The Tainnin Return

_Chapter 2 up in the nick of time! Please review, I like it when people tell me they like my fic, and honestly it helps me provide you more in this fic. Also, look for an upcoming writer, my friend Cody, his name i think will be Metal Guitarist 101. Also, I do not own Naruto, but I do own Matetso. Kyno belongs to Cody, and Fumatsuke belongs to my friend Ben( however, I helped with his creation and development of character). Enjoy._

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Chapter 2

The Tainnin Have Returned

Matetso wakes up with a very slight headache, one that he needn't pay any mind to. Getting up, the room was the same as the night previous, which was obvious. All he did went he got there was walk slowly to his bed, then slump down upon it. His room was littered to some extent with random articles of clothes. He never bothered to pick up any of it before he left one and a half years previous. So for some reason he couldn't comprehend, he began scooping up the various shirts and pairs of pants, and tossed them in the closet.

**"Matetso, don't you ever bother to put your clothes away properly?" **Asked Toratsu, his female cosmos demon. The entity made herself known, along with Zamaka the shadow demon, by exiting Matetso's mind. By doing this, they became visible to the outside world.

"It's not like I have to impress anyone. Plus, when did you become the authority over me?" Toratsu just rolled her eyes in annoyance, something she constantly did.

"Honestly Matetso, it's just a good habit. It's good for self-discipline. Don't you have the decency to accomplish a simple task like that?"

"Um…No. I'm hungry." He walked out of his room, leaving the two demons alone. Toratsu still kept her 'annoyed mother' look, while Zamaka was enjoying the conversation slightly. After five seconds, they advanced to the kitchen, seeing Matetso was digging through the fridge.

"Damn it! All the food is spoiled!" He turned to find the two demons with a look that was pretty much saying, 'Duh!'. "I'm sure I could find something in town." Zamaka and Toratsu re-entered his body, not wanting to stay in the open very long. Matetso then walked to the front door and slowly opened it. When the outside world was revealed, so were three ANBU Black Ops members.

"What are you doing here?" Asked a perplexed Matetso.

"Lady Tsunade requested your presence." Said one of them. Matetso couldn't tell who it was who spoke because of the strange yet interesting masks.

"Fine, but let me get breakfast first. All the food in my fridge is spoiled." He started to walk by, only to have one of the ANBU grab his shoulder. "What now?"

"Well, Lady Tsunade offered to cover that for you, Kyno, and Fumatsuke. She thought you should get a good welcome." Matetso was baffled. Tsunade never did anything like that for him. In fact, he hardly ever saw her smile, or do anything nice for anyone else for that matter.

"…Fine, I'll go. She just better have bacon. Crispy bacon. Ah…"Matetso became trapped in his fantasy about his favorite part of breakfast. The three ANBU members looked at each other, then back at the Tainnin. His fantasy cut short, he blushed slightly. "Shadow Teleport!" And with that, he disappeared in a small uprising of shadow.

"What's so special about bacons?" Asked one of the ANBU members.

"Not sure. You think he'll go get the others?"

"Probably. Let's get a bite." Ironically, the ANBU were hired to invite the Tainnin to lunch from Tsunade, when they were hungry themselves.

* * *

At the same time that the three began their way to Ichiraku, Matetso appeared outside Fumatsuke's house, right in front of his bedroom window to be precise. Peering in, he noticed that the bed was empty, and was straightened out.

_"You've gotta be kidding me. He actually bothers to make his bed? What a nerd."_

**"It doesn't make him a nerd,"** Said Toratsu, **"it mean he has good habits." **Matetso acquired his dull expression that he used in these situations. He put his hand on the window, and closed his eyes. Being the master of chakra control out of all the Tainnin, he's able to bend his chakra in anyway he chooses. This time, trying to open a window that's locked from the inside. Sure enough, he heard a click, then slid the window open. He peered over the room to be positive Fumatsuke wasn't inside. Once certain, he jumped through, rolled slightly, and stuck the landing. He waited a moment, until…

**"I give it an 8.3."** Said Zamaka. Getting a cocky grin across his face, Matetso went over to the door. Opening it a crack, he saw that his teammate was no where in sight, and so he opened it fully. He couldn't hear anything. He walked down the hall, peering in a few doors, and still no luck. That is, until he passed by one door in particular. The bathroom. He heard the opening of the cabinet built into the wall, and upon hearing this, got a brilliant idea. Walking into the bathroom as quietly as he could, the Tainnin snuck up a few feet away from Fumatsuke. As he closed the cabinet, the mirrored exterior revealed his teammate standing behind him.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" Said Fumatsuke.

"Let me think…" And before saying the last word, he leaned forward so he was right in his face. "NO!" As a result of this surprising action, Fumatsuke withdrew himself, and appeared to be gagging.

"Dude, when was the last time you brushed?" He managed to say between coughs.

"Dunno. It's been a while. Why?" At saying this, Fumatsuke grabbed a spare toothbrush, and handed it to Matetso, along with the toothpaste. "You keep a spare toothbrush in your cabinet? Why the fuck would you need that?"

"In case my guests have horrible and unimaginably bad breath. Now brush." Matetso just stared at him as if saying, 'You can't be serious'. "Don't wanna brush, huh? Too bad!" Upon saying this, he kicked Matetso out the open door and into the wall. "Ninja Art: Ice Prison!" Solid ice started to form around Matetso's legs, then progressed up until he was completely trapped, except for his head. With his target in sight, Fumatsuke spread a small amount of toothpaste across the brush, and forced the brush into his teammate's mouth. He brushed across both rows of teeth, and it seemed like eternity before the ordeal, as Matetso saw it, was over.

"My mouth feels so minty. The agony!"

"Calm down, the taste will go away soon." He had long released the jutsu, giving Matetso ample time to explain why he entered without warning.

"Tsunade wants to treat us to breakfast. I don't know what kind of shit she's trying to pull, but let's just hope it doesn't include stale bread."

"That was random, so I don't think it will. Just wait a minute, then we'll go get Kyno." Fumatsuke walked back toward his room, which made Matetso notice something.

_"He actually puts something different on before going to sleep?! NERD!" _When Fumatsuke returned, he was yet again wearing his gray jacket that look exactly like Shino's, his black pants, and dark gray boots. "Took you long enough, brainiac."

"Ignoramus." Fumatsuke might have been the most intelligent Tainnin, with a higher IQ than Shikamaru, but he did take longer for such actions like putting on a different pair of clothes. "Let's go get Kyno before we're late. Ice Teleport!" He was instantly frozen in a small glacier. When it shattered, Fumatsuke disappeared.

"Get back here! Shadow Teleport!" Matetso disappeared in the small uprising of shadow.

* * *

At the same time, Tsunade was telling off Naruto.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Said the enraged Hokage.

"They looked exhausted. I thought I would tell you today so they could have some sleep." Replied the genin.

"That's not how missions work, Naruto. You have to report in when the mission is completed or failed, not wait until the next day because of exhaustion. You're lucky you only had to make me wait around twelve hours. Any longer, and a punishment would have been initiated. I'm sure that the ANBU told the Tainnin already, so-" She was cut off by the door swiftly opening, then shutting sharply. The intruder was Kyno, who was holding the door back as if someone were trying to get in on the other side. His black shirt and gray pants were slightly ripped and ruffled, and his hair was unruly. He was panting like one would after running a marathon.

"Tsunade! Please let me hide in here! I need to lay low for a bit." He managed to get out.

"Why?"

He looked at her with a stern expression. She was oblivious to the state he was in, and to how obvious the answer was. "I was attacked by several kunoichi. I'm one of the strongest ninja in the village, and I'm only fifteen! Do you think women around my age would pass up the change to get some of this?" He pointed at himself when he said this.

"Ironically, this is where I want you." She said with a smile. Kyno's eyes shot open in surprise and disgust. "Not like that. Honestly your too young for me."

"Yeah, despite the looks, behind the ninjutsu and skin cream, you're like sixty." Tsunade's smile transformed into a frown. It was true she used ninjutsu to keep her appearance vibrant, but without it, she would look like the wife of the Third Hokage.

"Where are Matetso and Fumatsuke?" Asked the still present Naruto.

"Uh…Dunno. They may be checking my place now. Either that or they're on their way here."

* * *

Coincidentally, they were. When they checked his house, they saw no sign of the third Tainnin. However, given the chance, they searched through his things for any bit of secrets he might have been keeping from them. And to their luck, they found one interesting bit of information.

"Can't wait to rub this in his face. But where is he?" Asked Matetso.

"It's possible he's at the Hokage Tower. Let's check there." And so, they began to sprint to their destination. Several familiar faces passed by; all of which had a grin on their face and a greeting to submit.

"Long time no see, guys!"

"Whazzup, you two?"

"Hey guys, where's the fire?"

Though entirely different, each salutation meant the same thing. The Tainnin were friends with most of the people in the village, and since they were gone for such a long time, everyone seemed to have a gleeful expression. The entire positive atmosphere that was being created allowed time to pass well and soon enough, Matetso and Fumatsuke reached their destination. Upon entering the building, they were confronted by the ANBU member standing near the door.

"Ah, it's you two. Tsunade's waiting for you."

"Thank you." Said Matetso. He didn't want to be rude by saying they knew about being expected by the village leader. The ANBU member pointed to the staircase leading up, and they advanced to it. This time they couldn't complain. They had only been there a few times before they left for one and a half years, so they weren't quite familiar with the building. Upon reaching the top floor, they observed signs of a struggle; shattered vases on the floor, scratches in the wall.

"What the hell happened here?" Asked a perplexed Fumatsuke.

"Well, it's definitely some idiot who doesn't care for interior designing or has any brain capacity."

"You mean Kyno?"

"You know it." They found the door that matched the walls perfectly, which was the one with light scratches across it. Without warning, Matetso kicked it down, revealing Kyno, Naruto, and a slightly irritated Tsunade. "Knock, knock."

"You know that door wasn't locked, right?" Asked Tsunade.

"Yeah, I know." Matetso replied with a smile. "So, Tsunade, you wanted to treat us to breakfast?"

"Yes, I did. I-" She was yet again interrupted by someone entering her office. This time, it was Sakura.

"I'm not…disrupting anything, am I, Lady Tsunade?" She asked, soundly slightly nervous. Stepping forward, she stood next to Matetso, who twitched slightly, and to the left, away from her.

"Not really. What do you need?" Asked Tsunade. Sakura walked up to the desk, and set down a scroll.

"I was going through the training you told me to do, and a member of the ANBU told me to deliver this." She explained.

"Why didn't he just deliver straight to Tsunade?" Asked Naruto. This wasn't new to the others, his tendency to dig into other people's business, but they gave him a look to let him know it didn't concern him. However, Sakura answered his question, despite the possible need-to-know basis.

"When he left, he said something to another ANBU member about… 'grabbing a bite'." This put a scowl on Tsunade's face. She didn't enjoy it when she gives orders to someone and they up and put those orders on someone else. This included when they received orders concerning her.

"Those idiots. I'll deal with them later, but for now… Matetso, Kyno, Fumatsuke, I set it up so Teuchi will over you an all-you-can-eat option at Ichiraku." This visibly raised the three Tainnin's spirits. Kyno grinned ear-to-ear; Fumatsuke's eyes took on a gleeful expression while it wasn't sure if he was smiling or not due to his jacket. Matetso was satisfied that he would get something to soothe his raging hunger, but while his teammates and Naruto left, he remained in the room along with Sakura, which made him blush. Luckily for him, this went unnoticed.

"You're not coming with us? I thought that when you invite someone to lunch you, oh I don't know, join them?!"

"Of course not." Replied Tsunade. "I have work to do, like finish the paperwork concerning trade routes to and from the Village Hidden in the Sand. But thanks for the offer."

"Ironic, being that you're the one who invited us to breakfast. Whatever." And he exited the office, stepping on the door he kicked down. "Oh, and I'll pay for another door. Here." He walked back into the room, and slammed down an amount of yen not yet identified until his hand was removed. Tsunade was amazed at what she was just given.

"Three hundred yen?! How did you get that kind of money?!" At her utterance, Sakura, too, was astonished.

"Well, we kinda took jobs as mercenaries during our travels. Don't worry, none of it had anything to do with any rivaling villages." He said the last part just in time before Tsunade burst in anger. She didn't take kindly to mercenaries, but it was relieving to know he didn't concern himself with anyone who wasn't allied with the Leaf Village. "Pays pretty good, just as long as the mission isn't too dangerous." With the explanation over, Matetso once again exited the office.

"Bye, Matetso. Good to see you again." Sakura spoke for the first time in what seemed like hours, given the length of the conversation and the eagerness for it to be over. This utterance ran a chill up Matetso's back, bringing his progress to a halt.

"Uh…uh…S-same here. See ya!" And he darted down the hall, jumped down the steps, and ran out the door, not taking regard to those he ran past. True be told, he wasn't the expert on talking to women around his age, not to mention how to react. Realizing the unnecessary ground he gained, he ceased his retreat.

"What took you so long?" Gazing up, Matetso saw Kyno and Fumatsuke. "We've been waiting…one minute and twenty-one seconds." The other two gazed at Fumatsuke at his accurate measurement. He looked at Matetso, then at Kyno. "Well, we have."

"Whatever, let's get down to Ichiraku. I've got a hunger that could rival Choji." They began on their way at the end of the sentence. Just like before, recognizable people passed by, sending more friendly greetings. While returning them, an idea formed in Matetso's head.

"Race to Ichiraku?" He said. Kyno looked at him, as if he saw this coming.

"Loser pays for the meal?" He replied. Tsunade said all-you-can-eat; she didn't say free.

"Anything goes, except for teleporting?" Spoke Fumatsuke. As if anticipating each other's words and actions, they spoke at the same time.

"Tender." They said. They were off in a flash, each taking individual paths. Kyno leapt up on the buildings and jumped on other roofs in the direction of the ramen shop. Fumatsuke made a tiger hand-sign with his fingers, and a trail of ice appeared. Sliding on it, more appeared in front of him as he advanced. Matetso had something particularly interesting in mind. He bit his finger, then brought his hand to the ground.

"Ninja Art of Summoning: Shadow Phoenix!" A large cloud of smoke become present and rising out of it was a magnificent phoenix, wings ablaze with pitch-black flames. It landed in front of Matetso, and lifted its wing for him to climb aboard. Climbing on, the Tainnin fit perfectly on its back. He wasn't too small that his body slid backwards, and not too large that he weighed the elegant bird down. The flames also weren't a problem, giving off a cool, relaxing temperature instead of the scalding heat it was capable of giving off. Spreading its massive wings, it pushed against the ground and soared into the air, hundreds of feet up in a few seconds. Matetso had a clear view of the village. The gates, the training grounds, the…noodle shop!

He lost track of his objective for a moment. He could see the other two. Kyno was halfway there, and Fumatsuke wasn't too far behind.

"To Ichiraku!" He cried out. It was strange for a phoenix to understand location names, but it dove toward the small building, gaining on the other two quickly. Glancing back, the other Tainnin saw the large bird and their teammate on its back, sporting a wide and triumphant grin. Kyno was shocked.

"No fair!" He shouted back at Matetso.

"Hey, anything goes!" He yelled back. Suddenly, Matetso leaped off the phoenix's back, and as a result it vanished in a cloud of smoke. While in the air, he brought out two swords, each longer than his arm and had a scarlet red color to them, and positioned himself like a missile with the sword tips touching each other. He started to spin so swiftly, that he became a blur. "Shadow Spinning Lotus!" Shadow aura began to flow around the spinning mass. The successfully performed Taijutsu gave him the needed boost, so now they were now tied. Fumatsuke in the streets to the left, Kyno taking great leaps across the rooftops, and Matetso spinning rapidly in between. The shop came closer, and closer, and closer.

Suddenly, Matetso struck part of the roof by accident in an attempt to attack Kyno. The maneuver was cancelled, and he was launched forward, even faster than before. The blades in his hands vanished while soaring above him. He hit the ground and slid across it until he came to rest, abruptly colliding with the metal bars supporting the chairs in the shop. Extremely dizzy, he looked up to see Kyno land on the ground and Fumatsuke slide up beside him.

"Nice one, Matetso." Kyno grunted in his sarcastic voice.

"Shut up. Whoa…" While attempting to stand, Matetso nearly lost his balance. "I still won. I won! I-" He was cut short by his gurgling stomach. Clutching it, he ran behind the shop. The other two could hear retching, and honestly couldn't blame him for it. Matetso never used that technique for that long, and it required constant spinning. Still, Kyno couldn't help but cover his eyes with one hand in pity, or more like expressing how pathetic Matetso could be. Eventually, the noises of painful gut wrenching were over, and the still slightly dizzy Tainnin stepped into view. "Alright, you're buying, guys."

"That was quite a show you put on." Said a voice behind them.

"Yeah. We could see the whole thing!" Said another voice. Entering the shop, they saw that the voices came from Teuchi and Ayame. They both looked happy to see them, and the Tainnin seemed to mirror their expressions. "So, Tsunade set up an all-you-can-eat deal with you guys. You're lucky, provided we don't have that kind of deal normally."

"Cool. Just give the bill to these two. They're buying." Said Matetso with a smirk and an evil gleam in his eyes.

"Quit rubbing it in, Matetso." Spoke Fumatsuke in an annoyed tone. "Let's just eat and worry about the bill later." In agreement, they all sat down simultaneously. Upon sitting down, they skimmed the menu and began ordering. They received many dissimilar varieties of ramen. They also were served to them with several diverse toppings, such as shrimp, fish cakes, smoked salmon, beef, pork, chicken and more numerous kinds. They ate for a good ten minutes, polishing off a bowl every minute. They rested the side of their heads on the counter, marveling at the massive amount of dishes that piled up. Matetso felt guilty for this. Just because they were the village's strongest ninja doesn't mean that they could do anything they wanted and people were supposed to deal with it. As Ayame went to grab hold of the dishes, Matetso raised his head, and held up a hand, signaling her to cease the action.

"Ayame, don't bother. I can get you some help. Shadow Clone jutsu!" Instantly, clones of the shadow ninja appeared out of the shadow on the ground. They immediately began grabbing the bowls, taking them to the sink, and washing them vigorously. "A way to show my thanks." At this, Kyno nudged him in the arm. "I mean, our thanks."

"You didn't need to. It was on the house, anyway." Said a slightly grateful Teuchi.

"Then the race was pointless." Kyno muttered.

"Maybe not. Loser pays the tip." Said Matetso quickly. Kyno and Fumatsuke, who were not in the mood to interject, each pulled out ten yen, and set it on the counter. After a good three minutes, they began to stand, only to hear someone calling from the distance.

"Matetso! Kyno! Fumatsuke!" Yelled the voice. Turning to see whom it was, the three Tainnin saw the ninja academy student known as Konohamaru, sprinting remarkably quick toward the trio. Just as he was about to do something that involved physical contact, they stepped aside, which caused the ninja in training to perform an odd pole vault over the counter. He flew until he hit the counter in the back, colliding with a wooden board with several bowls on it. These went flying forward, and struck the three Tainnin on the top of the forehead, ultimately resulting in the trio falling unconscious, landing on broken debris from the bowls they had just ate out of.

--

_Hope you liked it. Can get next chapter up in 3-4 days. Plus, for more understanding, when a demon speaks in bold text, then it means they are residing in their vessel.(e.g. Nine-tailed fox within Naruto). And don't ask me why the Hokage should be concerned with all-you-can-eat specials, I just needed something for it to flow. So please review, and R&R until next chapter!_


	3. Plans and Insecurities

_Sorry it took so long. Been preoccupied with friends and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. (Ya gotta love that Aerosmith!) Anyway, for your reading pleasure, I present to you chapter 3! Oh, and I don't own Naruto, Kyno, or Fumatsuke, or any other Naruto characters. I do own Matetso, everyone's favorite shadow shinobi. (Sounds familiar, huh?)_

* * *

Chapter 3

Plans and Insecurities

Matetso opens his eyes to see he was lying on a cold, dark floor. He was on his stomach, his head was out to his right, and his arms were parallel to his body. His hair was damp from the millimeter deep amount of water residing in this unknown area. His eyes were only half-open, but even if they were full and alert, he would've gazed upon darkness beyond the various pillars surrounding him, giving off a faint blue glow from the candles, which were ablaze with cerulean flames.

"Where am I?" He asked himself quietly. So quietly, in fact, it was barely audible. However, this wasn't a factor that mattered.

"In your subconscious, genius." The voice startled Matetso, who's eyes shot open. Mere instinct brought him the pattern of leaping into the air, pulling out a kunai, and landing behind the unknown enemy. Bringing the kunai to the throat of his target, he saw the fault in his plan. He couldn't kill a demon. The unidentified individual was Zamaka. "Get that thing away from me, fool."

"Dude, how'd I get here?" Matetso said, withdrawing the kunai and putting it in the small pouch on his belt.

"Well, Konohamaru pole vaulted, or some variation, over the counter at Ichiraku, and a few ramen bowls were catapulted at you, Kyno, and Fumatsuke. You guys are out cold, and are in the hospital." Matetso was baffled.

"But…We're the Tainnin! Why would someone think we need to go to a hospital when we're the strongest in the village?" He thought that being incapacitated in a hospital bed would wear down on his reputation for being without the need of medical help. Of course, he expected him in a similar situation in the future, but he didn't want the first time to be from a ramen bowl and a weak ninja academy student. At his utterance, Toratsu walked out of the darkness like it was a veil of fog.

"Calm down, Matetso." She said in a comforting way. "No one will think less of you. It's just a slight setback. So, are you ready?" Yet again, Matetso was confused. He had no idea what she was getting at.

"…Ready for what?" He asked. Just at the end of the question, he felt himself falling backwards slowly, like in slow motion.

"To go back." The demon responded, still in the relieving tone she started with. The falling sensation kept its existence until the shinobi hit the ground, on his back. Closing his eyes, he could feel the cold, wet floor turn to a warm, comforting surface he was not familiar with. He found pleasure lying on this new and warm spot. Opening his eyes, he gaze was met with several other pairs of eyes, not counting Kakashi on account of his headband. He sat up to meet the gleeful smiles of reassurance, along with his comrades who awoke simultaneously, to notice he was in the hospital.

* * *

Fumatsuke was spiraling through darkness, and not the normal kind that everyone is accustomed with. This darkness surrounded the Tainnin with nothing but a view of pitch-black gloom, so much so that he could not see his hand if it were an inch from his face. This darkness was choking him, restraining him with all its might. Fumatsuke felt like he was struggling against an intact brick wall, one that he couldn't move. This felt normal to him, though. This dream came to him many times before, but no more than once a month. So it was obvious he found a way to counter it. It was his dream, right? So, he should have control over it. The darkness faded to reveal a giant field. No mountains in the distance, no trees, just knee high grass and a few flowers. It was pleasant, and it had been his way of countering the gloom of the nightmare he experienced prior. He fell back to relax in his new environment, and closed his eyes. He hit the ground, only to feel it being replaced with a softer surface. Opening his eyes, he saw several people surrounding the medical bed he lay on. Sitting up, he looked over to find his comrades awakening almost at the same time.

* * *

"What the fuck just happened?" Kyno asked himself silently, in this new environment. He found himself on a hard, warm floor. Though, warm was an understatement, being that immediately following the time where he appeared on his back in this unknown location, he shot up to his feet. The ground burnt his back, and he knew he would have to cope with the blisters in the next few hours when they appeared. His shoes brought some relief, however, Kyno could feel heat penetrating the footwear.

"Wow." Said a voice behind him. "Didn't think you'd ever be knocked unconscious. And by a ramen bowl! Seriously man, that's pathetic."

"So is your face." The Tainnin said while turning to the unknown voice. Luckily he was correct as to whom he thought spoke. Tainatsu, the demon that resided in the confines of Kyno's mind, stood a few feet ahead.

"Haha. Very funny."

"Where the hell am I?"

"Your subconscious, at least the part I reside in." The demon said with a smile that boasted ownership. It seemed weird to Kyno to feel you have tenure over a part of another person's mind. Kyno was drenched in sweat from the heat.

"Why is it so fucking hot?!" The heat was raising his newly acquired anger, which was increasing ever since he burnt his back on the scalding hot floor.

"I prefer the heat. Why? Can't take it?" Tainatsu said in a mocking tone. He took much joy in toying with Kyno and watching his reaction. This time, the normally calm Tainnin ran straight at the demon, only to suddenly feel his legs give way. He fell forward, hitting the ground hard, and closing his eyes from the impact. The first second down, Kyno thought he would experience the high temperatured ground. Instead, he felt a soft, warm surface that was pleasant compared to the certain part of his mind inhabited by Tainatsu. Opening his eyes, he saw Matetso and Fumatsuke lying on two other beds on their backs. His head was facing his right, and he was on his stomach. Lifting himself up, he twisted around to find an amount of people that he didn't bother to count. The other two woke up at the same time, and they bathed in the warm euphoria given off by their witnesses. Among the lingering crowd was Kakashi, Naruto, Kurenai, Asuma, Iruka, and possibly some others hidden behind them.

"Where's Konohamaru?" Matetso was the first to ask. Pushing through part of the crowd was the ninja academy student, looking like a human version of a dog with its tail between its legs.

"Sorry about what happened. I was just psyched to see you." He said in his small squeaky voice. It was strange to hear him talk in this manner, when he would frequently speak in an upbeat and motivated tone. The Tainnin felt it heart wrenching to see an innocent child's face go from shear happiness to pity in no less than an hour, or how ever long they were out.

"It's okay. I'd imagine everyone in the village would want to see us, given our prolonged time of training." Fumatsuke said in his calm, average pitched tone. Without warning, the door swung open to reveal the three sand genin, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. Temari ran up to Kyno's bed and embraced his now erect body.

"How are you, sweetie?" She said in a longing and slightly seductive voice. Kyno's eyes were wide, and went from Temari to his teammates to the rest of the people in the room. The two other sand genin walked in calmly. The other visitors were just staring, and the other two Tainnin were snickering. They were clearly enjoying this, but soon they couldn't control it. Soon, they were guffawing uncontrollably, ultimately falling off of their beds.

"Fine, yes, Temari's my girlfriend. Let's just drop it." He wasn't amused with how the others were taking it, what with either surprised looks on their face or their forms of mocking him. After about a minute and a half of laughing, the other two Tainnin rose from their painful looking positions of clutching their stomachs.

"Wow, and I thought it was funny when we snuck into your house, rummaged through all your stuff and took that secret love note you wrote for Temari…and did I just say that out loud?" Matetso said the last part of the sentence nervously, as Kyno was out of bed and staring menacingly at him. "Oh, shit. I'm outta here!" With that, he bolted out of the room with Kyno in hot pursuit. The rest of them were just looking out the door absent-mindedly, like the event that had transpired put them under some sort of trance.

"That was a lot less enjoyable than I thought." Fumatsuke said, banishing the awkward silence. "I'm still confused though. Why would we need even minor medical attention? We only got hit by ramen bowls. Other than slight bruises and cuts, what else did we get?"

"Concussions." Kakashi finally spoke. "However, the medical ops said it was trivial, so it's safe for you guys to leave."

"Good." Fumatsuke replied. "I'd hate to see what the food is like here." He got up, and went after his comrades, fearing the worst. Instead, Matetso was strapped to the wall, and Fumatsuke had no idea where Kyno got the restraints to do so. Matetso's shirt was off, and Kyno painted 'Ask me about my wiener' on his exposed body with what appeared to be blood. Upon a closer look, Fumatsuke discovered that it was blood, and came from cuts on his body.

"Kyno, you fucking bastard, that fucking hurt!" Matetso blurted out in anger and pain.

"Come on, you little wimp." Kyno replied. "You've had worst done to you. Like that time when that one dude with one eye cut out who ripped apart your right bicep muscle?" The crowd that had gathered in the medical room was now in the hall. They witnessed the sight of Matetso on the wall, and unfortunately, began listening in on the conversation.

"Oh yeah." Matetso took a split second to think, then replied. "Or that time where that one douchebag hung us from the ceiling and whipped our backs about forty times. Man, it felt like a waterfall of blood and chunks of skin were flowing up to my head." At this, Fumatsuke could hear someone behind him moan from the vision portrayed from these grotesque explanations.

"Or…" Kyno said, while thinking. "…That time where that one guy gave you that liquid that made you vomit, have diarrhea, and bleed slightly from your ears at the same time." This time, it crossed the line. The one who moaned earlier, which happened to be Kurenai, began to vomit on the floor, causing the crowd to part away from pool of bile starting to build up. When it appeared as the ordeal was over, everyone switched their view over to Matetso, still suspended, and Kyno, still holding the kunai used to cut words into his teammate's skin.

"Nice going, dickweed." Matetso said. "Now, get me down." Feeling that his gag wasn't going anywhere, Kyno loosened the restraints, allowing Matetso to the ground. He grabbed his shirt and put it back on, acting as if the cuts weren't there. "I know that all of you didn't come just to see us." He acknowledged the still staring group of people, which was now discovered to have Naruto and Shizune in it. "So spill it. What's the idea forming in your head?" They tried to put on a dumb act, shaking their heads and shrugging, but for naught. The Tainnin couldn't be fooled so easily. They saw several of the gathered shinobi whispering and laughing under their breath. They had something planned. Finally, Iruka stepped up to the three, and held out a sheet of paper that was neatly folded about four times.

"Here." He said to Fumatsuke, which was odd because Matetso asked the question. "This is what we planned. We got some it done for you, but the rest is still needed to be done." Fumatsuke stared at the paper, then at Iruka. Not done with his contemplating, he was pushed aside by Matetso, who took the paper without hesitation or possibly even a thought as to what it was.

"Thanks! We'll go take care of this. Ciao!" At the end of his sentence, he put both Fumatsuke and Kyno in a headlock, and proceeded to carry them down the hall with them in tow. Once they were gone, Naruto spoke up.

"You did put my name on the list, right?"

"For the six thousand nine hundred and forth time, Naruto, we did! Quit worrying." Asuma said. He, too, had enough of the blonde's bickering. "Let's just hope we put everyone on there."

"We did." Said Kurenai, stepping away from the pile of vomit. "…Didn't we?"

* * *

"A what?" Asked Kyno, who was on top of the Hokage Tower along with the two other Tainnin. It was later in the afternoon, about three hours from sunset.

"A party. And they expect us to throw it." Matetso replied.

"Makes sense." Said Fumatsuke. The others showed signs of utter confusion, and he was all too familiar with them. "Just think. Someone must've ratted out to the others, telling them about the mass amount of yen we acquired during our time as mercenaries for hire. They may have thought that we would expect a welcome home celebration upon our arrival, but they're too cheap to take care of it themselves."

"So, what you're saying is…" Matetso began to think for a moment. "…They want to throw us a party, but they expect us to take care of it for them." Fumatsuke nodded as a response, saying 'yes'.

"Dude, we aren't going to pay for all this!" Kyno said while skimming the list of party supplies. "I mean, how much yen did we get?" At this outburst, the Tainnin started digging through their pockets, and pulled out all the yen they could find, making the once bare area of roof in the middle of the semi circle full of either neatly folded or crumpled up yen. "Okay, ten, twenty…" He went on, counting in his head, pausing at moments to add large values to the ever growing total. "…Eighty…Ninety…Okay, I count one thousand seven hundred and fifty yen. Forget what I said earlier, we can totally take care of this."

"Yeah, but what do they want us to get? Hand me the list." Fumatsuke turned to his side and grasped the list set there by Kyno, and handed it to Matetso. Looking through it, he saw a large amount of snacks and refreshments, a small list of possible locations to hold the party, and signatures of many people who wished to come. "Well, I think we should each take a third of the list. That way we could get everything done earlier, and so we can cut loose sooner. Kyno, take this part of the supplies." He ripped a part of the list apart, and handed it to Kyno, who took his share of the yen and leapt off the building. He then ran off into town. "And you should take care of the invitations. Just make sure no douchebags get in." Getting the last word in, he too ran off into town with the rest of supplies list.

"What gave him the idea that I'm good at this kind of stuff? Jackass." Fumatsuke said with spite. "Well, no turning back now. Better get started." With that, he began his search for the designated people. Looking back at the list, he looked through the names to see whom he should search for first.

_Kakashi Asuma Kurenai Guy Iruka Naruto Ino Choji Shikamaru Shino Hinata_

_Kiba Akamaru Neji Lee Tenten Tsunade Shizune Jiraiya Ayame Temari Gaara Kankuro_

There were also many other names, however Fumatsuke didn't recognize them. What caught his eye was a few of the signatures. Tsunade? Shizune? Anko? Ayame? When it came to Tsunade and Shizune, he thought they would be far too deep in paperwork and urgent matters to go to some small welcome back party. When it came to Anko, he knew she was a bit of a wild spirit, so this worried him as to what the party will erupt into with someone like her invited. Ayame…Fumatsuke was just utterly astonished, because he didn't ever see the waitress anywhere other than Ichiraku. So, by all means, he looked forward to seeing her there, but the other three he still had suspicions towards.

* * *

"What do mean 'I'm not of drinking age'?" Kyno asked angrily. He was furious at the store clerk for claiming he was too young to purchase the various beverages, which included sake.

"Listen, I know you're one of the Tainnin, but I don't really think that gives you the privilege of buying alcohol." Said the store clerk.

"Screw you." Kyno said, raising his middle finger. He stormed off, allowing the person behind him to walk up to the counter. Walking to the nearest support, he leaned against a pole, wondering what his next move was going to be. "Damn it, what am I gonna do?" Just when he felt he was going to be deep fried in boiling oil, someone tapped on his shoulder. Looking to left, he saw what he thought was the guy who was behind him in the line.

"You wanted to get two crates of sake, right?" The man asked.

"Yeah, but King Douchebag won't let me." Kyno answered, pointing at the store clerk. "What of it?"

"Well, I just got two crates, and their being delivered to my apartment. Swing by there later, and I'll let you buy them off of me…with interest." He said with a smirk. Kyno was confused. Did he just see him smile wickedly, or was that something normal with this guy? And what could be so special about interest.

"What are you talking about?" The man's smirk grew larger.

"Let's just say it'll be rough." Kyno's eyes rose at this comment. "And you'll be sore tomorrow." A shiver ran down the Tainnin's spine.

"_Is it just me, or did he say what I thought he said?"_ Kyno thought.

"**No way, dude. This guy is a pedophile. Man, sucks to be you."** Answered a less than concerned Tainatsu. **"Well, it **_**is**_** for the sake. Your choice."** It was indeed his decision. But at what cost? He thought of both options. On one hand, he could get the sake for the party, but would have to let this strange man have his way with him. Or, he could say no, and let down everyone. Was there an alternative? It instantly crossed his mind, and he remembered that he didn't have to take this from some sick and twisted person. He could easily make mince meat out of this guy. But, even with the ability to do so, he couldn't do that. He may be hard to get along with at times, but he wasn't _that _unpleasant. But one other route gave him a slim ray of hope. What if there was another shop? But he was still under the drinking limit. What if he asked a Jonin to buy it? But, if they were too cheap to get it themselves, they probably too lazy, also. He had no choice. If he didn't get the sake, Matetso and Fumatsuke would kill him.

"Fine. I just need to get something else done." He said with a heavy sigh. The stranger nodded in satisfaction, which sent another chill down Kyno's spine. He couldn't believe he was going to do to get some lousy sake. "I'm gonna be that guy's temporary bitch. I feel sick." He said under his breath while walking in the opposite direction. It was going to happen, regardless of how he felt about it. Still, this way the last, the _very _last thing he ever thought he would do in his life.

* * *

"Thanks!" Matetso said gleefully to the store clerk. He had just got the numerous bags of potato chips on the list. Humorously, the list said to only let Choji eat one of the bags. It was common knowledge that he pigged out normally, and if this many chips were available, he would go insane. Walking through the streets, Matetso searched for the next stop. Glancing over, he saw the flower shop run by Ino's mother. The obnoxious blonde was not present, but who was put a small smile on his face. Sakura was sampling various flowers. For a reason only he understood, Matetso found that she was extremely hard to hold a conversation with. Despite this, he always enjoyed her company. The only reason of the unnecessary freak-out earlier was the result of the long period of time between the last time the saw each other and now. Without warning, the Tainnin was pushed over by an unknown force.

"Matetso!" Said a voice, apparently from the one who was on his back. The voice was high, shrill, annoying…

"Ino, get off me!" Said Matetso angrily. He didn't have time this. The outburst of the unbearable kunoichi caught the eyes of several wandering villagers. "What do you want?! I'm kinda busy."

"I just wanted to ask you something."

"And that would be…?" He asked, dragging the last word. Ino began getting nervous, and was slightly losing track of what she was saying. By now, Sakura was outside of the shop. She, too, wondered what the commotion was.

"Um…Would you…Um…Go on a date with me?" This shocked Matetso. A date with Ino? This was crazy talk to him. Then, he remembered the list of people who wanted to come to the party. Ino was one of them. Plus, he knew her somewhat, and everyone knew she had a crush on Matetso. Well, all the Tainnin actually, but the point being that she struck this one first, so in all honesty, Matetso couldn't break her heart.

**"Just one date. She put herself through a lot just to ask you that. Go with her to the party." **Said Toratsu. She had a point. Going through all that trouble, then getting turned down would probably weigh on her psyche.

_"Why do I always get stuck in these situations?" _Matetso asked himself. Looking into Ino's eyes, he couldn't help but smile. Sure, they weren't Sakura's, but they were something. It couldn't be all that bad. And besides, it's not like she asked to be his girlfriend.

"Matetso, what's going on." Asked the now present Sakura. "I thought you were still in the hospital."

"Back off, Sakura. I'm asking him on a date." Ino said with pride. Sakura's gaze shifted to Matetso, who nodded his answer. "See? I'll see you at the party, Matetso." She said smiling and skipping away.

"You're not seriously going to do that, are you?" Asked Sakura. This time, Matetso calmed himself down, determined not to freak out. Once he pulled himself together, he turned to her.

"I'm just taking her to the party. It's not like I'm her boyfriend. And I sure hope it doesn't come to that." This reassurance gave Sakura a feeling of relief. Glancing down, she noticed the folded paper in his hands.

"What's that?"

"Huh? Oh, it's a list of things I need to pick up for the party."

"Am I invited?" She said with a smile and a cute wink, which made Matetso blush slightly. He covered it up by pretending to cough. Luckily it worked. The list accidentally fell out of his hand when he covered his mouth. Sakura bent down, picked it up, and unfolded. Sure enough, at the bottom of the list was part of the invited member's list. The only name it said on it was:

Sakura

"So, I am invited." She said happily and handing the paper back to Matetso. "But do you really have to take Ino-pig?" A small laugh escaped his mouth from the use of Ino's nickname.

"Well, looks like I don't have a choice now. Besides, I don't even like her that way. I'm just taking her, I guess, out of pity or something. I don't know. Anyway…I have my sights set on someone else." He again began to blush a bit, and so did Sakura. _"Oh, shit! Did she figure it out that easily?" _

"So…who is it?" She asked with deep interest and with an ever-increasing blush on her face. Matetso's face, too, grew even redder, and he was on the brink of making his cheeks look like tomatoes.

"Um…I don't think you've met her." Matetso waited a few moments, hoping that this ruse will end in success. Sakura's head drooped slightly, and she looked disappointed.

"Oh…Okay. Well, I'll see you at the party." With that, she walked off in the opposite direction. Matetso set on his way to grab the rest of the supplies that he dropped from Ino tackling him.

"Damn it, why can't I tell her?" He said to himself, striking the ground and leaving a few cracks in the pavement

* * *

"You think I have the time to go to this party?" Tsunade asked Fumatsuke.

"Don't blame me. Matetso, Kyno, and I just got stuck with the list, and your name was on it. Now, you can either come to the party or not. And if you do then-." The door opening cut him off. Shizune walked in with about three dozen packed folders, all with rubber bands around them. Well, you think about it." Fumatsuke left the room, and leaned against the wall right across from it. Seconds later, Shizune walked out again and noticed the Tainnin. She walked up to him with a look of curiosity.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"We got a party to take care of, and she's on the list. Doesn't look like she's going."

"She's lucky she got invited. I would kill to be able to go. I mean-."

"You can."

"Say wha?" Her look of frustration went to curiosity again. Fumatsuke unfolded the paper he was given, pointed to the head of the list, then at her name. "You mean I can go?" Fumatsuke nodded. Shizune rushed forward and embraced Fumatsuke in a full hug, and he knew this would go down as his single most awkward moment. Before he could react, Shizune pulled away. "Thanks. I really need to kick back for only a night. Anyway, see you at the party." And with that, she walked away.

"…Creepy. Better get the rest." Fumatsuke said, before walking off.

* * *

Kyno stood outside the door of the apartment with the number 468 on it. In his opinion, 'Hell' would have suited the door better. Staring at it, he feared the worst. Ironically, it was going to be. For years, one of his mortal fears was exactly this. It didn't matter. He was through with all the other jobs he had to take care of. Now, he had to enter this den of terror, and come face to face with his phobia. Looking back at his options, this seemed extremely irrational, yet it was his only shot at getting the sake. He even tried the alternative, only to have it end in failure.

* * *

"Kakashi, you have to. I can't get it 'cause of the fucking age limit, but you can! Please." Kyno pleaded to Kakashi.

"You guys are in charge of this. You are the strongest ninjas in the village, so you and the other Tainnin need to take care of this."

* * *

All hope was lost. This was a final resort, and he had to go through with it. He called upon Tainatsu, who appeared an instant later.

"You should stay clear. Just because I have to do this doesn't mean you have to."

"Point taken." The demon then floated off to do whatever demons like him did. Turning around and giving a long sigh, Kyno knocked on the door. He heard footsteps coming from inside. The door opened slowly to reveal the same man from before. He had a ominous grin on his face, and had the same clothes on as before. However, this was nothing to worry about to Kyno. The man wouldn't have them on for much longer, and neither would Kyno. Walking in, he sat on the bed, and spied the crates of sake over in the corner.

"How much?" Kyno asked.

"Fifty yen…plus the interest. So, how about we get this over with." The man stepped closer and started unbuttoning his shirt. Taking it off, Kyno expected him to toss it aside. Instead, he handed it to Kyno.

"Um…what's going on?"

"This is the interest. Fixing my collar." The whole world seemed to stand still for a moment.

_"Fixing his shirt?! He's not gonna have his way with me! What a relief." _With his new sense of hope, he began working at the shirt, and fixed it within a few minutes.

"Thanks." Said the man. "It's been bugging me for days."

"Listen, why did you act weird earlier? It kinda gave me the wrong idea."

"Gross." He replied. "Well, I just like being strangely dramatically sometimes. Anyway, just pay me the fifty yen, and you can enjoy the sake." Kyno shifted through his pockets, but to his horror, it was empty.

"Shit! I'm out of money."

"Whoa. Didn't see that coming, did ya?"

"Whatever, I'll just go." He left the apartment with a drooping head. He grabbed the other supplies and advanced to the stairs. Upon reaching ground level, Tainatsu appeared again with arms folded.

"Well, that was quick. He must have a quick release time. So, was it brutal?"

"He wanted me to fix his shirt." Kyno said monotonously.

"Whoa, didn't see that coming. Anyway, the others are waiting for you near the river outside the village."

"Let's go, then." Tainatsu returned into Kyno's body, causing him to shudder slightly. "Volcanic Teleportation!" In an uprising of molten rock, the Tainnin disappeared, leaving behind a small amount of soot on the pavement.

* * *

"So, you made sure to invite _everyone_?" Asked Matetso while setting up the snacks and refreshments.

"Yep." Replied Fumatsuke. "And you got all of the _items_?" Matetso nodded at his question. To his left, he saw a mound of magma appear. Rising up from it was none other than Kyno, carrying the rest of the supplies.

"Got them. All…except for the sake."

"Don't worry. We got it." Replied Matetso. He pointed over to the side of the river. Sure enough, two crates were set there, causing Kyno to stare angrily at Matetso.

"How the hell did you get those?!" He shouted.

"I asked Kakashi to get them." Matetso said, not catching on to Kyno's fury.

"So did I! He said I had to get them myself! Why did it work for you?!"

"I don't know. Maybe he just said that because we already got them." Kyno's anger rose steeply. Remembering what he went through, and then to have someone else do his job, and act like they were supposed to perform it all along. Although, it didn't turn out as bad as he thought it would be, so he just calmed down, and readied himself for the party by assisting in the setup. By the time they had everything ready, the guests were arriving. It then came to Fumatsuke.

"Dude, Matetso. I forgot to invite Sakura!"

"Don't worry, I took care of it. Her name wasn't on the list because I ripped it wrong. It ended up on my list." Replied Matetso. Fumatsuke let out a sigh of relief. With what seemed like everything being in order, the Tainnin climbed up on the highest rock by the river.

"Let's get this party started!" they shouted. They were answered by a roar of approval, official stating everyone was ready to cut loose. The Tainnin then jumped back down to join the festivities.

* * *

_So, what'd ya'll think? Please review, give me constructive criticism, comment on the fic, whatever. And don't forget, if you have any ideas about the story, email me. I'm open to suggestions. Until next time, R&R!  
_


	4. The Mighty Can Fall, Rumors Can Rise

_Took forever, didn't I? Well, it doesn't look like much of you care. Please, I want reviews. I wanna know what I'm doing wrong, how I can improve, and what people think about this. Anyway, enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 4

How the Mighty Can Fall and Rumors Can Rise

Everything seemed to be in check. Everyone was just calmly conversing or something harmless. If not, they were sparring on the river. It was perfect because the first to lose their guard would get submerged. So far, no unwanted chaos looked to be coming. The Tainnin brought this as a good sign. They expected a party when they arrived back at the village, though they didn't think they'd have to throw it themselves, and they didn't want any funny business. Other than the few unnecessary and overly dramatic greetings that the Tainnin received, all that happened was friendly conversation or non lethal combat. Without warning, Matetso began walking towards Ino, who didn't seem to notice him at first. Or, perhaps, she was waiting for him.

"Why the hell are you going over there?" Asked Kyno. "You don't really want to hang with those eyesores, do ya?"

Matetso turned to his comrade, and said, "I don't have a choice. I promised Ino a date." Kyno's jaw dropped, accompanied by Fumatsuke's eyes widening.

"Well, good luck lover boy." Kyno walked off laughing. He appeared to be walking off to grab a drink. Fumatsuke walked over to the refreshment table where Shino was just standing with his hands in his pockets. He looked just like Fumatsuke, except he had those black glasses, had black spiked hair, and was a little shorter, if not the same hieght. Matetso continued over to Ino.

"Hey, Ino." He said halfheartedly. He tried to keep away from any eye contact, but his attempt was thwarted when Ino wrapped her arms around him quickly.

"Hey, hot stuff. Wanna grab me a drink?" She was lucky Matetso was such a gentleman. Otherwise, he would've immediately refused. He trudged over to the punch bowl, seeing how everyone else was enjoying themselves, and wishing he could also. Then it struck him. Just because he was stuck with Ino didn't mean he couldn't have a good time either. He just had to think of how he could pull it off. He could always just drag her along with him. But that could bring some bad situations. Ino didn't just go with the flow, she did what she wanted. She had a mind too, even if it wasn't evident at some moments. So how could he make sure it would work? By now, he was at the table. He was reaching for a small cup when Asuma walked to him.

"Hey, Matetso. Ino kept saying that she got a date with you. Is that true?" He noticed Ino glancing over at them for a second.

"Unfortunately. I just felt like doing something nice for her since she has a crush on me. I'm just hoping she doesn't expect anything else."

"Oh, I hear that. I'd hate to see one of the Tainnin end up with her. It just doesn't make sense." Asuma's comment sounded strange to Matetso. He was her sensei, and he was saying she would have no chance with her crush. "Anyway, it's nice for you to do this for her."

"Yeah, if you say so. Hey, where's Kurenai?"

"She's still at her house. She's busy getting something on. She's so insufferable sometimes." Without warning, he felt something digging in his pocket and pulling out something swiftly. Turning around, Asuma saw a clone of Matetso, holding a foil wrapper. He threw it above his head, over to Matetso. Upon catching it, his clone disappeared. He chuckled slightly at the wrapper, now seeing that it was a condom. Asuma struggled to get it back, not being successful until Matetso handed it back. Asuma stuffed back into his pocket, hoping no one saw.

"Little action planned?" The Tainnin said with a smirk and yet another small laugh. Asuma stared at him sternly, and Matetso's face went to honesty. "My lips are sealed." The Jonin's face went back to calm. "Better get Ino's drink. …Hey, hand me a few sakes." He said, pouring the drinks.

"You mean like, for you and Ino?" Asuma asked, handing him two sakes.

"No, for me." Matetso then reached over to grab about eight more. Asuma was astonished.

"You're gonna drink all those? How are you gonna carry them?"

"Like this." He put his hand in front of the sake bottles with his fingers spread as wide as they would allow him. "Shadow Essence Transformation." Suddenly, all but one of the bottles was covered with shadow essence. They were absorbed into his palm as if he were drawing actual shadows. Once, they were gone, he grabbed the last one, used his thumb to open it, and took a large drink out of it. He got a triumphant smile on his face that looked like an evil grin at the same time. Despite his hieght compared to Asuma, the Tainnin still seemed menacing to the Jonin, with his abnormal ninjutsu and his ability to detail his mood with his face with dead-on accuracy. "See ya, Asuma. Oh, and have fun tonight." He yet again flashed his trademark smirk that could rival Naruto's. While walking back to Ino with the sake and cup of punch, Kurenai was walking by. Strange as it was, it did not appear to Matetso that she changed at all. Upon closer inspection, it was the same design of skirt, or whatever it was she wore everyday, only it was skin tight. Even though he had eyes for someone else, he found this extremely attractive, and thought that Asuma was lucky. _Extremely_ lucky. She smiled and waved, and Matetso answered this by…smiling and waving. Once she passed him, his dread toward the night ahead started again as he continued to Ino.

* * *

"…but the bugs can survive in the kind of temperature you can produce. The only fall back, obviously, is that freezing them solid will work." Shino answered Fumatsuke's question.

"Ah. Well, then…Hmm…I got nothin'." They continued to lean against the large tree, which was right next to the refreshment table. They both had cups of punch, and didn't appear to have been drinking out of them much. Someone could have fooled Fumatsuke for Shino's older brother on account of the jacket. However, it was evident that no one was that dim-witted. Shino slowly glanced over, and was vaguely overcome with shock.

"I've never seen Kurenai-sensei wear anything that skin-tight." He tried his best to hide his astonished feeling, which was successful. Fumatsuke looked to wear Shino's gaze was, and sure enough, Kurenai was standing near Asuma, wearing what looked like the tightest skirt-like bit of clothing he ever saw. It made her more attractive, but Fumatsuke was smart enough to keep his mind out of the gutter. He turned his gaze back to his blank stare, momentarily joined by Shino. His gaze was then diverted by a sudden appearance of smoke appearing in the middle of the festivities. Many of the previously occupied eyes were now watching the smoke clear to unveil Anko Mitarashi.

"You think you could start the party without me? Think again." She quickly made her way over to the crates of sake, and grabbed a bottle. Thinking that she couldn't cause any harm, the guests turned their heads back to who or what they were occupied with. Fumatsuke saw Anko down the bottle in seconds, which brought a suspicion to him as she grabbed another bottle.

_"What if she goes over the edge? I'd hate to imagine the chaos that would follow." _Thought the Tainnin. Figuring he would cross that bridge when he came to it, he then went back to contemplating on his personal thoughts.

* * *

"No he can't!" Interjected Naruto.

"Yes he can!" Shot back Kyno. "I'm telling you, Matetso can do a better Sexy Jutsu than you can." Kyno was barely inebriated, so he passed the time before then by arguing with Naruto and going through bottles of sake at record rate, sitting on an overturned tree. Sitting next to them was Sakura, who was watching Ino and Matetso talking with the small group they were with, which was Shikamaru and Choji. Next to Kyno sat Temari, who had her head on his shoulder, clearly amused at the argument. "If you don't believe me, I can prove it. HEY MATETSO!" One try was all it took. Matetso looked over to Kyno and, figuring he wanted something, walked over. Ultimately, Ino began to follow.

"What do you want, Kyno?" He asked.

"Oh, Naruto thinks I'm lying when I say that you can do a better Sexy Jutsu. Show him." He laid back with his hands behind his head, waiting for the show to start.

"You two are pigs." Sakura said to Kyno and Naruto. "I can't believe you'd think he'd do that."

"Yeah, I _am_ on a date." Matetso said, rolling his eyes. He didn't enjoy the fact, but he enforced it nonetheless. "But…What the hell? Sexy Jutsu!" A large cloud of smoke came to existence around Matetso, and Sakura swirled around on the tree stump in order to avert her gaze. Temari didn't seem to care as to what image was about to appear, which could suggest something personal on her part, something that might make Kyno less attracted in her. Once the smoke cleared, three naked women were visible with smoke covering their 'special areas'. Their hair was similar to Matetso's hair, only it didn't stick up as far.

"So, Naruto…" Said one of them sensually, walking forward. Her voice sounded like the one Naruto used with the jutsu, only a little older. Naruto's eyes widened.

"Still think I can't do a Sexy Jutsu as well as you?" Said the second, sounding just as attractive. Naruto nodded no, and started to tense up. He got up and walked backwards slowly, evidently attempting to escape the three desirable women edging ever closer.

"Well…I guess this will prove you wrong." The third one pushed Naruto onto his back. His head was a foot away from the river, and the arousing image of the transformed Matetso sat on his waist. The other two crouched beside him to either tussle his hair or scratch his chin. The distance between their heads became shorter. Matetso's eyes closed slowly, his head tilted, and…Naruto let out a scream, and ran in the opposite direction. In his terrified state, he failed to notice the river, and he fell in. Matetso got up, his clones disappearing in a puff of smoke, and walked up to Kyno. Matetso began to scratch Kyno's chin seductively when he suddenly swiped it away in disgust.

"Dude. Why did you do that?! I just said for you to prove it, not try and give Naruto a fucking boner!"

"That's crazy talk, Kyno honey." Matetso replied, giving a cute laugh. Kyno then began to gag a bit, when Matetso disappeared in a puff of smoke like the clones.

"The hell…?" He felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Matetso back to normal. His looked of sickening displeasure went to confusion. "That…You didn't do that to Naruto?"

"No! I just got some clones to do it for me. You'd think I'd actually do that to him?" He said with a stupid smile.

"That was great, Matetso!" Ino shouted. Matetso thought she was nuts. She actually liked that? Looking again, she appeared to be slightly straining herself. "I've never seen anyone who could shut up Naruto that easily. You're awesome!" She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head against his chest. He blushed slightly from the affection he was getting, even if it was from Ino. Matetso looked over to see Kyno biting his lip, trying to contain his laughter. This was in vain, because he broke into hysterics, falling off the tree. Matetso lifted up his hand to see the bottle of sake he had was empty. Suddenly, his eyes rolled back in his head. It was pure white until the Shratengan appeared, his blood red shine glistening against the various lights that were set up. When he spoke, his voice was no longer that of Matetso, but of Zamaka. He had control over his vessel's body.

"Alright then." Zamaka said, in his deep and somewhat raspy voice. "Let's who's laughing NOW!" He lifted the bottle high in the air, and sending it down with blinding speed, right to Kyno's head. He immediately ceased his laughter, and his eyes closed. Matetso's eyes then rolled back to their normal position, showing the normal black Shratengan symbol that everyone was accustomed with. He looked like he was suddenly stricken with amnesia, because he was clueless as to why Kyno was unconscious, and why the bottle in his was broken. He was also wondering why everyone, even the others behind, were staring at him in shock, Anko being the exception. She was too drunk to notice, and was being dragged behind a tree by Fumatsuke. He still attempted to watch while trudging with the inebriated kunoichi.

"It wasn't me, it was Zamaka!" Matetso yelled in an effort to redeem himself. They weren't convinced, so Zamaka appeared to vouch for the Tainnin.

"It _was_ me, okay? Just forget this happened." He disappeared once again, his rebuttal working to his delight. Everyone seemed to just shrug it off, giving Matetso the 'in the clear' feeling again. Dropping the freshly broken bottle, he summoned another one, this one being his fourth that night. He popped the top off, not noticing that it hit Ino in the face, and took a large swig of it.

"You've been drinking kinda heavily. Don't you think you should let up a little?" Said Ino, who was now aware of Matetso's rapid consumption of sake. Matetso slowly tilted his head to her, raising an eyebrow. He could've been trying to make an answer with his face, but Ino couldn't tell what he was getting at. "Seriously, Matetso, you need to ease up a bit."

"Maybe…" He said, looking down at his drink. Just as Ino grew a small smile, Matetso gulped down another huge amount of the beverage. "Not." He flashed it trademark grin to show this was final. So, Ino just brushed it off. Hoping that nothing would arise from this. By now, Fumatsuke walked up to the group, and was looking from Kyno surrounded by glass fragments and unconscious, to Matetso, who was beginning to look a little intoxicated.

"I've got to admit…I _definitely_ saw this coming." At this comment, Matetso broke out in annoying drunken laughter. "What…is so funny?" He said, giving an effort not to put any sternness in his voice, as this could cause problems.

"You said cum. Talk about mind in the gutter!" A few of Matetso's words were slurred slightly, and he didn't appear to be in control of his balance much. The only thing that kept him up was Ino, and she was having a difficult time doing so.

"Jeez. He weighs a ton. If you ask me, his muscles are better as an image, not a giant paper weight."

"You mean including this one?" Matetso said, pointing to his groin area. Ino finally had it. She could deal with the display with the Sexy Jutsu and getting hit with bottle caps. But carrying around a drunken idiot? She couldn't handle that. She let Matetso slide off her shoulder and onto the ground with a grunt. She then stomped back to Shikamaru and Choji with her arms crossed across her chest. "Well, she's a preppy little bitch, isn't she?"

"She sure is." Kyno rose from his lying form drinking a bottle of sake, leaving everyone unaware about his inebriated state until then. "Yeah, go change yer tampon!" He made sure that Ino could hear, not worrying if everybody else did at the same time. Both he and Matetso broke out into even more obnoxious laughter. Fumatsuke just wanted to leave. He didn't want to be seen with Matetso and Kyno if they were like this. At the same time, he didn't want to leave them to tend for themselves. If he did…he shuddered to think at what would become of the party and the partygoers. He could image tables overturned, people covered in food and drink, and even several people ending up in the hospital, more than likely the two totally wasted Tainnin in front of him. All in all, he had to remain near Matetso and Kyno, but he didn't want to be close enough to be the subject of their inappropriate jokes. He looked back over, and saw Kiba, Shino, and Hinata around the group of trees that he was at previous to the drunken scene that took place mere seconds ago. Fumatsuke thought that they would prove to better company than the three ninja in front of him, being that Sakura had since gotten up and walked over to talk to talk to Kakashi.

"Kakashi…" He remembered something from earlier in his conversation with Shino. It concerned a rumor that he found on an escort mission he had recently. He began to walk over, looking back over at the sight of his two pathetic comrades. They were seeing who could cause more damage by slugging each other in the gut. Fumatsuke just shook his head and sighed, then made his way over to Kakashi and Sakura. It didn't take long for them to notice him. Sakura's dace turned to a small grin, and Kakashi…his face didn't seem to change much, considering that not much of his face was visible.

"Well, looks like you guys pulled it off." Said Kakashi in his normal and calm tone. "I didn't think it would go _half _as well as it is…and it's already crazy enough with Anko passed out behind a tree and two out of three of the Tainnin halfway there."

"Honestly, sometimes I don't know what to do with them. But what they is what they are…idiots." Fumatsuke replied. He thought he saw Sakura give him a deathly glare, but upon observing which, she just turned her away, a small blush appearing on both cheeks. Listen, Kakashi. I heard a rumor from Shino about a wandering prince from the Land of Spice." Kakashi stared at him, then over at the recently revealed night sky.

"It's true. The prince…Miratachi Kuzino…He was visiting the Land of Tea just about a week ago. He was there to sign a contract with them. Normally, the prince isn't the one who is involved in that kind of business." Unfortunately for Kakashi, Matetso heard this.

"Hey Kyno, he said business." They yet again broke out into their irritating laughter, giving Kakashi, Fumatsuke, and Sakura ample time to show how pathetic they thought the two were by sighing. Once the chuckling stopped, Kakashi continued.

"But, since the prince is soon to become the leader of the Land of Spice, this was a trial in his initiation."

"Initiation?" Asked Sakura in her curious tone.

"The trials that the prince must go through in order to become the leader. The current leader isn't one to cross. By far, he is the most tyrannical leader the Land of Spice has had in many generations. He feels that the prince should go through more rigorous challenges that the other leaders have ever given to their son. The first few weren't much, signing a few treaties and whatnot. However, it came to the Hokage's attention that the princes guards were attacked."

"So what? The way you say, the guards were the ones escorting him to his land." Fumatsuke interjected.

"That's true." Said a voice. Looking in the direction of where it came from. It was Shizune, and Fumatsuke was glad to see that Tsunade was nowhere to be seen. "The guards were escorting him, and when they were attacked, the prince fled to the nearest bit of civilization. The closest one was the Sand Village, and they were informed of the tragedy. They told him that the farthest they could take him was here, due to the low numbers of even genin. The rumor is now proven true. Now, Tsunade wants to find eligible ninja to take the mission. She only needs three left out of the six she needs." Fumatsuke had a good idea who the first three were.

"She picked the Tainnin first, didn't she?" Asked Sakura before Fumatsuke had a chance to. Shizune nodded.

"The Tainnin have a higher mission success rate than anyone in the village. All that's needed is the other three to be chosen. And they have to be experienced. This is an A-rank mission, close to an S-rank."

"How come the mission rating is so high?" Asked Fumatsuke. He scowled when he heard Matetso and Kyno laughing at the phrase 'so high'.

"Many attempts have been made on Miratachi. Counting the one near the Sand Village, he's been attacked twenty times in the last month." Sakura showed many signs of shock; gasping, widened eyes, and covering her mouth. Fumatsuke eyes opened only a bit and it seemed like they barely moved at all. "The Land of Spice is a very important region. It covers many main exports that many villages need. If no one were there to take the throne, the exports they serve will begin to dwindle, many to pay for expenses. Only the current ruler that exists in the bloodline can access the royal fortune, and that is what they use to pay for the financial business that circulates through being able to send out such exports. Of course, they make more than they spend, but the money gained is usually used in other ways. That's why it's important that Miratachi is kept safe. It's literally for the financial balance of each of the neighboring villages." Fumatsuke ran through all that Shizune said. It was all interesting to someone like him, someone who enjoys the customs of the other villages and clans. This seemed to be a slight extreme compared to all other cultures he's heard of.

_"The financial balance of all the villages rest in the survival of Prince Miratachi? Seems important. Shouldn't be too much of a challenge for us." _He looked over at Matetso and Kyno, who were now transforming into a menagerie of different objects and beings. _"Provided that those two ignoramuses don't screw it up."_

"Tsunade believes that Miratachi will arrive here tomorrow." Shizune took a drink out of the cup of punch that Fumatsuke just noticed she had. "By that time, she needs three other available ninja. Even if we can't get the other three, we can still use just the Tainnin. So Fumatsuke, please make sure Matetso and Kyno don't get into any trouble. We wouldn't want them to end up with a broken leg or something." She glanced over the two drunken Tainnin, still acting as if they didn't have brains. They appeared to be having an argument over something nonsensical, each trying to land a blow to each other if the other didn't comply. Their brawl caught the attention of Shizune, if only for a second. She looked back at Fumatsuke with a face that would make any look oblivious. "If you don't realize, something like that could result in both of them in the _hospital_."

"Good point. I'll go straighten them out." And with a heavy sigh, Fumatsuke trudged yet again over to his less than appealing teammates. They finally quit their tough love vest upon realizing the third Tainnin heading their way. Now looking at him, Matetso and Kyno seemed to be thinking, or at least that's what Fumatsuke thought. Being inebriated like that, they could've been doing anything between contemplating their next move to imaging Fumatsuke as a naked waitress bring them huge glasses of sake. Apparently, that appeared to be the case, because the two of them began to run their hands through his hair and rubbing their hands across his chest, thinking something more pleasing was there. "I've trained myself through gay chicken. You can't break me. So you two had better quit it, or my hands will do the talking." They both put on cocky grins.

"I might like that, sweet cheeks." Said Matetso, trying to sound as seductive as possible.

"AAAARRGH!" He screamed out in disgust. He turned towards Matetso and slammed his fist onto his head. Not realizing his own strength, he apparently had knocked Matetso unconscious. He was still fuming from the suggestible comment brought on by his teammate, no realizing Kyno wrapping his arms around him.

"Good idea, baby. Lose the zero, get with the hero." He inched closer to Fumatsuke's ear. "Now, what'll it be?" He lowered his voice, and being that drunken idiots didn't really care what others said, Fumatsuke hardly understood why. "In the mouth, or up the carpet?" Fumatsuke's eyes widened so much he thought his eyelids would rip off. He grabbed Kyno's arm and hurled him over his shoulder. Upon his landing, Fumatsuke noticed that he passed out right after landing top of Matetso.

"Even if you got the reference wrong it was still unnecessary. I'm surrounded by idiots." He heaved with a sigh. It was a surprise to him how he was able to stand the two drunken shinobi laying in front of him. Turning around, he discovered that some of the guests were leaving. Asuma and Kurenai came up to him, Kurenai looking like she was beginning to experience effects of the numerous drinks she had. "Please tell me your not drunk too."

"Oh, no, not really. Just a little, but it's no damage." She answered. Despite the assurance, Fumatsuke felt that a hangover was inevitable for the next day. However, even though that amount of alcoholic beverages is possible for memory loss of the night's events, the Tainnin felt for some reason that that wouldn't be a problem. "I hope you don't mind, but Asuma and I are gonna go to my house. We wanna get some business cleared.

"Just make sure to wear that condom, Asuma." Fumatsuke said drearily. Asuma attained a surprised look, one that Fumatsuke didn't pay much mind to.

"How the hell did you know?" He said, managing to keep his anger and voice low. "Never mind, just don't spread it around."

"Whatever dude. I need to get these guys home." He began his attempt at lifting his two unconscious comrades, which proved more of a challenge than he previously thought. He figured he would be able to grab the two of them and hoist them under his arm. This wasn't the case, being that he wasn't even capable of lifting the two more then a foot off the ground. Without assistance, the task seemed impossible. Fumatsuke to ask Asuma for help, only to find endeavor thwarted. He and Kurenai weren't to be seen. _"This isn't a problem, I'll just ask someone else." _This, too, was impossible. The only remaining people in the clearing were himself, Matetso, Kyno, and Anko who remained out cold behind the tree. "How did everyone leave so quickly?!" Fumatsuke couldn't help but blurt out his confused rant, as it was one of his habits. It was strange how every that attended could be gone that swiftly and against Fumatsuke's attention, especially with how skillfully tuned Fumatsuke's senses were. The Tainnin sighed, reached down, and yet again attempted the previous undertaking.

It was still futile, Matetso and Kyno were plainly too heavy for transport. Fumatsuke thought about teleporting. He could just get them to their houses within ten seconds each. Problem was, he never tried multiple teleporting. The only one he knew who ever was successful with that was Matetso, mainly because of his unique chakra bending. Even Kyno hadn't taken the challenge. Maybe he didn't have to teleport himself along with them. Maybe he could just teleport them one at a time. But even Matetso didn't attempt something like that. Figuring that now would be a good test, Fumatsuke made the hand sign slowly then took a deep breath. He began concentrating his chakra throughout and around himself, not feeling any difficulty. This was basic chakra control. He then set to bending his chakra around and throughout Kyno, which proved more intricate. _"Damn. I don't see how Matetso could handle this. But then again, chakra control isn't my specialty. I probably need to work on this later."_

Once he felt the chakra was evenly balanced, he went to work on Matetso. By now, the strain of the concentrating made Fumatsuke's chakra give off a faint light blue glow. Upon making contact with Matetso, he saw that it was forced back by a small black aura. He saw this somewhere before, and remembered how Matetso used this to keep foreign energy sources from coming into contact with him. Fumatsuke had no idea this was still in effect when he wasn't awake. Fumatsuke strained to allow the chakra through the small field of aura, which was fighting back. To his fortune, it broke apart, and his chakra spread around and through Matetso's body. Glad the ordeal was over, the shinobi yelled out, "Ice Teleport!" All three were encased in ice. Since Fumatsuke was awake, he was the only one feeling the slight spinning affect from the sudden transfer of location. Once it ceased, he found himself inside Kyno's living room. The room left much to be desired, with all the stains and random erotic novels covering most of the furniture and floor. Matetso and Kyno stayed motionless on the floor, Kyno on top of Matetso, only the slow movement of their breathing indicating any life signs for either of them. An exhausted Fumatsuke collapsed on the couch, immediately falling into a deep sleep, the thought of their mission not even bothering him.

* * *

_I hope it wasn't that bad. I'm not completely back to my writing mojo, what with school and all. Now if you don't mind, click "Submit Review". I wanna know about how my fic is entertaining or offending my readers. That, and I'd like to know what I can do to improve. Don't expect a new chapter anytime soon. Definitely within two weeks more than likely. R&R!_


	5. Tension Rising and Work Approaching

_Finally got it up! Man, that took long. So, for all you impatient little peoples out there, well calm down! It's right here! Enjoy! BTW, I do not own Naruto or any characters relating to such. I do own Matetso, this story, and technically Miratachi. I also do not own any songs by Utada Hikaru. You'll see..._

* * *

Chapter 5

Tension Rising and Work Approaching

Matetso lay on his back on a floor he didn't quite recognize immediately. His eyes were still shut, his head aching from the miniscule patch of light bleeding through his eyelids. The hangover was taking affect now that he was awake.

_"Should've watched my sake intake."_ He thought briefly. He began to filter around his surroundings. He felt the normal material used for flooring. His hand brushed across something. He used his hand to run across it, which didn't help much. He flipped it over, hearing a flop of pages. It was some sort of reading material. He held it up to his face and, with difficulty, opened his eyes. He saw that it was a copy of "Make-Out Paradise". That was the only clue he needed. He realized he was lying on Kyno's floor. After deducing the mystery at hand, tow more popped into his mind. One was how he got there. And the second was why he felt something heavy on top of him, even if he felt slightly numb from the previous night's ordeal. Matetso shifted his gaze over to the unknown object. He had to adjust his vision yet again. Once he regained his focus, the image of Kyno lying on top of him was revealed. Had they been standing, they would've been face to face literally, as there was no space between his face and Kyno's. "AAH! Kyno, get off me!" Matetso yelled, pushing his comrade off of him. This woke him up from his drunken fantasy.

"What the fuck is going on? How'd we get here? And…Why was I laying on you?!" It didn't seem to occur to him that Matetso and him could've ended up like that totally by accident. He grabbed Matetso by the front of his shirt, getting within an inch of his face. "I swear, if you did anything I'll…" He racked his brain to find the most threatening thing he knew. Luckily for Matetso, he was not able to, as Fumatsuke cut in before he could utter a word.

"You two got drunk, hallucinated that I was something that was arousing to you, Matetso hit on me, I knocked him, you hit on me, I hurled you over my shoulder onto Matetso, you passed out, and that's it. Nothing gay. Then I teleported you here, I fell asleep, and…that's it." Fumatsuke's explanation seemed adequate to Kyno, because he let go of Matetso's shirt. "By the way, nice job on your date, Matetso."

"Why, what happened?" He asked, clutching his head from the hangover.

"You made a reference to your penis and she stomped off." Fumatsuke answered.

"Oh." Matetso said blankly. "Well, sounds like something I'd do." He chuckled along with Kyno, and received a piercing glare from Fumatsuke. "Looks like you have something to say. Care to share with the rest of us?"

"Someone sure sounds like a smart ass. It's a mission, but it doesn't concern us yet." He answered in his own smart allack tone. Matetso just raised a brow, thinking that would be enough of a sign for him to continue. "Fine. The prince from the Land of Spice was travelling back from a treaty signing with the Land of Tea when his transport was attacked. All of his bodyguards were killed, but he was lucky enough to make it to the Hidden Sand Village."

"But if he went to the Sand Village, why are we involved? Sounds like they could've handled the rest of the travel there." Kyno rarely showed signs of interest to stuff like this, but if it involved him, he took responsibility in discovering all the details. Despite the slight interruption, Fumatsuke continued as if it never happened.

"Well, too many shinobi were out on missions or just occupied with some other thing, so there will be a short escort here, then the prince in our hands." Matetso let out a small scoff and nodded his head, making it come to rest facing the wall.

"With all I hear about people of royalty, I hope this guy'll be at least a bit pleasant. I'm not delivering some son of a bitch who doesn't give a rat's ass if one of us die trying to protect him."

"We'll see about that." Fumatsuke replied. "He's expected to arrive at the gates sometime today. Besides, from what I heard several assassins have been hired to kill him, at least twenty times in the last month. It's obvious to say that he'll need some form of powerful security on his way back to the Land of Spice."

"And we fit the bill." Kyno interjected. "Seriously, we just got back! Why can't Tsunade let us relax a bit, soak in the miniscule yet tantalizing wonder of the place we call home?"

"Two things." Answered Fumatsuke "One, I didn't even know you knew what the words 'miniscule' and tantalizing' mean."

"I guess I do. Weird, huh?" Replied Kyno. Fumatsuke narrowed his eyes a bit.

"And second," He continued. "We just need to escort him back to the Land of Spice. I doubt that could pose a threat to us. We're the Tainnin, remember?"

"I don't think it's a threat he's worried about." Matetso cut in. "We spent a year and a half on the road. We had to sleep in damn tents most of the time, and when we weren't, it was a crummy motel infested with fucking cockroaches. He has a point to make. We've been here for only two days, and now we have a mission. Why can't we just ask Tsunade for a few more days here?"

"Because Prince Miratachi doesn't want to stay here!" Yelled Fumatsuke. "Don't you realize? He's royalty, and royalty like him shouldn't have to stay somewhere like this."

"Are you suggesting that the Leaf Village is a hick town?"

"No! I just don't think that Miratachi would want to stay somewhere with no luxury resources. This guy is probably used to spa treatments, beds the size of your ego, and servants catering to his every whim."

"Damn!" Kyno said. "Those beds must be HUGE!"

"Exactly my point." Continued Fumatsuke. "The Leaf Village doesn't have any of those things, or any of the other luxuries that Miratachi might think are just trivial pleasures. We can't just ask Tsunade for a few more days of rest and relaxation. The Prince expected here today."

"Whatever. I'm going for a shower." Matetso walked over to the door, but was stopped by Kyno's voice.

"You don't have a shower."

"I don't fucking take a shower in a shower!" This interjection made Kyno gain a look of confusion. If he didn't use a shower, how could he take one? "See ya!" He walked out the door.

"What now?" Asked Kyno.

"That's your problem. I'm going to get breakfast." Then Fumatsuke walked over to the door, opened it, and walked out, leaving Kyno leaning up against the couch.

* * *

Matetso grabbed the towel, shampoo, and soap from inside his bathroom and ran out the door.

"Shadow Teleport!" He shouted, continuing to sprint. Shadows enveloped around him, and he disappeared with them. His new surroundings were that of a small river, shallow in depth. The source of water came from a tall waterfall, water crashing down on the flat rock beneath it. To the right of it was a small outcrop of bushes, which could provide privacy when undressing. This seemed a bit unnecessary, because the area was clear of wandering eyes and, apparently, civilization altogether. Matetso proceeded to the bushes and, looking around to make sure that he was alone took off all his clothes. Once completely naked, he stepped out under the crushing waters. The pressure of it could be considered as unbearable to a normal shinobi, but Matetso was nothing like that. He had washed himself this way many times before. It was something he was accustomed to. He let the water run along his skin, allowing it to wash away all the tension that had been building up over the past few days. His hangover was still evident, but not quite as painful as before. He also felt somewhat sore in different parts of his body. This could've been from the unknown shenanigans from the night before. Once content, he started washing his hair with the shampoo he grabbed. Out of nowhere, he began to sing.

_When you walk away_

_You don't hear me say please_

_Oh baby, don't go_

_Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

_It's hard to let it go_

_You're giving me too many things_

_Lately you're all I need_

_You smiled at me and said,_

_Don't get me wrong I love you_

_But does that mean I have to meet your father?_

_When we are older you'll understand_

_What I meant when I said "No,_

_I don't think life is quite that simple"_

_When you walk away_

_You don't hear me say please_

_Oh baby, don't go_

_Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

_It's hard to let it go_

_The daily things_

_That keep us all busy_

_All confusing me that's when u came to me and said,_

_Wish I could prove I love you_

_But does that mean I have to walk on water?_

_When we are older you'll understand_

_It's enough when I say so,_

_And maybe somethings are that simple_

_When you walk away_

_You don't hear me say please_

_Oh baby, don't go_

_Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

_It's hard to let it go_

_Hold me_

_Whatever lies beyond this morning_

_Is a little later on_

_Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all_

_Nothing's like before_

_When you walk away_

_You don't hear me say please_

_Oh baby, don't go_

_Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight_

_It's hard to let it go_

_Hold me_

_Whatever lies beyond this morning_

_Is a little later on_

_Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all_

_Nothing's like before_

_Hold me_

_Whatever lies beyond this morning_

_Is a little later on_

_Regardless of warnings the future doesn't scare me at all_

_Nothing's like before_

Matetso sang this song whenever he was under this waterfall. He didn't care who heard him or what they though. He still enjoyed singing it. His hair was now rinsed out thoroughly and the clumps that they were in were now at the side of his head because of the water. He grabbed the bar of soap and began to wash the rest of his body.

* * *

Tsunade looked over all the available shinobi. She groaned in frustration at what she found in this endeavor. The last available ninjas were Naruto and Sakura. The Tainnin, she knew, were capable of great things, but the mission that they were posed with could make them aware of their limits. Every shinobi had weaknesses, and the Tainnin were no different, or at least Tsunade thought they weren't. She rested her forehead against her desk and sighed. The squad wasn't complete. She needed an answer. Just then, the door opened to reveal the three sand genin.

"Lady Tsunade- Oh, is this a bad time?" Kankuro noticed that Tsunade had her head against the desk. She looked up.

"No, it's okay. What do you need?" She asked in a low tone.

"We were just coming to say that were going to return to the Sand Village." Said Gaara.

"Alright, thank you." Tsunade replied, sighing yet again as she looked back at the list of genin again. Against her awareness, the sand genin hadn't left yet.

"What's…uh…Is everything okay, Lady Tsunade?" Asked Temari. The Hokage looked up once more.

"Remember the Prince that arrived at the Sand Village a few weeks ago?" They nodded. "Well, as you know, he's being sent here. Because of the S-ranking the mission was given, I figured we would need a good number of shinobi. Six to be exact. Lucky for us, the Tainnin luckily arrived just in time for the mission to turn up. They were automatically chosen."

"Wow, that's a shocker." Kankuro interrupted. He didn't have to push his sarcasm far, being that his was obviously the opposite of the truth.

"Anyway, the only two available are Naruto and Sakura."

"What's so wrong with those two? They're more than capable for protecting the Prince." Interjected Gaara.

"It's not really that I don't see them capable, but I feel that stronger shinobi would've been better. Other than that, we're short one ninja, and I can't- wait a minute…" A new thought came to Tsunade's mind, one that made her feel stupid for not grasping it when it was right in front of her for the first time. "Would one of you be able to accompany the Tainnin?"

"I will!" Temari instantly shouted.

"Temari, you know we can't." Kankuro retorted. "The Sand Village wants us back."

"Fuck that, I'm going with Kyno." She then ran out the door, probably to tell Kyno. Kankuro and Gaara turned back to Tsunade. Kankuro had a look as if to say 'What do you think about this?' while Gaara sustained his usual emotionless glare.

"If she chooses to join the Tainnin, Naruto, and Sakura, I don't see the trouble." She answered the wordless question. "Just tell the Sand Village that Temari is assisting with the escort of Prince Miratachi. They'll understand." With that, she began working on a separate bit of paperwork. Kankuro looked over at Gaara, who just shrugged. They then walked out the door, not at all concerned anymore about Temari going on the mission.

* * *

Sakura and Ino were strolling along a forest trail, hoping to find a relaxing rest area. Despite their typical feuding attitude to one another, they still thought that they could stand the other's company occasionally.

"He's just so gross sometimes. When he's not…" Sakura got the picture. Most of the kunoichi in the Leaf Village would agree with them. Matetso was attractive among the village's kunoichi. And not just him, but so was Kyno and Fumatsuke. Not so much Fumatsuke, but in any case, who would pass up the chance to be with the strongest shinobi in the village? Especially if they were only fifteen. The two came across a clearing that consisted of a small river and a waterfall. However, that wasn't the reason they ceased walking and started to survey it from behind a bush. That went solely to the noise they heard. What they heard was someone singing. Looking over at the base of the waterfall, they saw Matetso completely naked and washing his hair that was now down the side of his head instead of it normally clumped together. Sakura and Ino blush slightly from the sight, and their hearts melted at his melodious tune. As they listened, they scanned him over, soaking in the sight of his muscular body, especially his groin.

"His voice is beautiful." Sakura whispered. Once the song was finished, the two kunoichi sat down and leaned against the tree. They sighed at what they saw and listened to. As they continued to succumb to the euphoria of what they saw, another voice made its way through the forest.

"Hey, Sakura!" It was Naruto. Just perceiving the sound of his voice brought slight annoyance to Sakura, but with the added situation, she felt like pounding him into yogurt. "Sakura, where are you?" He continued to shout. Sakura got up and walked to the source of his voice. Once he came into view, Sakura forwarded to assault him. "Ow! What did I do?!"

"I was busy with something, and you go and blow my cover! I finally had a chance to-"

"Chance to what?" Said a familiar voice behind them. Sakura turned around to find Matetso standing there, fully clothed and hair back to its normal shape.

"Oh! Uh…Nothing" Sakura replied, dropping Naruto on his back. Ino walked around Matetso and proceeded down the path.

"See ya, Sakura. Bye, Matetso." When she addressed Matetso, she lowered her voice to a seductive purr. He just cocked a brow in response, not wanting to progress anything. Shifting his gaze back to the other two genin, he saw Sakura blushing and Naruto brushing off his jacket.

"So, I heard Naruto yelling. What for, knucklehead?"

"I was just coming to tell Sakura that we've been chosen for a mission." He answered with somewhat of a triumphant grin. "We're supposed to escort and protect some prince by the name of Miratachi."

"Small world, I'm on that same mission. All three of the Tainnin are." Matetso answered. Sakura's attitude instantly lit up.

_"Yes, he's going with us!"_ She thought.

"Come on, let's go see Lady Tsunade. We'll need details on the mission." They began walking down the forest trail, back to the village. In Sakura's opinion, the only way the situation could've been better would've been if Naruto wasn't present.

* * *

Fumatsuke sat in the middle chair at Ichiraku. Business was slow, so he thought it would be the perfect time for him to grab a bite to eat. He was currently indulging in a bowl of ramen with pork and chicken thrown in.

"So," Began Teuchi. "You're escorting and protecting Prince Miratachi? That's some job on your shoulder."

"Exactly." Fumatsuke answered. He slurped another mouthful of ramen and, after chewing and swallowing, resumed. "If he doesn't become Emperor, the whole region will be thrown awry."

"Definitely sounds important. So, who else is going?" Ayame asked. Fumatsuke gulped down the large amount of ramen he had just forced into his mouth.

"The Tainnin were automatically chosen, obviously. All Lady Tsunade has to do is pick the other three. She'll probably designate Naruto for this."

"No doubt. He's been on most of the missions the village has received in the past few months." Agreed Teuchi. "He wasn't always successful, but still…" Fumatsuke continued to eat until the bowl's contents were gone.

"Well, with that logic, why did they choose him?" That bit of humor seemed to provoke a second of laughter. "But no, he's pretty reliable…for a genin." Fumatsuke said with a grin. "I'd better go check if Kyno is ready for the mission. Thanks!" He bid farewell to Teuchi and Ayame, hoping that nothing went awry since leaving Kyno at his house.

* * *

Kyno was in his shower, one of the last places he thought he would make himself present in. The water flowed down his front, but didn't quite wash away the hangover or the tension of the mission ahead. All these mixed up emotions brought back memories of a time long past. The shinobi hadn't felt quite at home anywhere other than the Leaf Village, but he never felt the same ever since the events of the years prior to becoming a Tainnin.

* * *

**_"Father Sharakage, what's going on?" Kyno asked his father. He was standing at the base of the building's wreckage, staring at the invaders._**

**_"The Sand Village must fall, and we're the one's to deliver the assault. Join us, Siaratsuke. You're our most powerful ninja, while at the same time not even a chunin. We'll conquer the Sand village together." The Sharakage held out his hand as a signal of his decision: Either join the squadron of invaders, destroy the Sand Village, and forever be under his father's influence, or refuse, save the Sand Village, and forever break the bond between him and his dictatorial father._**

**_"No!" He shouted, delivering a blow to the Sharakage's stomach. The war against his own village's squadrons was on._**

* * *

Kyno didn't realize until after the memory ended that he started to cry. That was the day that his whole world was taken from him. His own father turned out to be conquering leader, one that would actually the village's troops against him, intent to kill. The tears streamed down his face. That's when he heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"What the fuck? Who is it?" He asked.

"Guess, dumbass." He could recognize that teasing voice anywhere. It was Temari. She sounded a little excited, something that never seemed to have an affect on her voice until now.

"Come on in. At least if you don't mind that I'm in the shower." He heard the door open then close. He also heard what sounded like clothes hitting the floor a second later followed by the shower curtain parting. He turned around to see Temari fully naked and progressing on him slowly. Kyno blushed slightly. She leaned in and kissed him.

"Guess what?" She asked.

"What?"

"I'm going on the same mission you're on." She said, leaning over to grab the soap. A smile spread on the Tainnin's face.

"That's some good news. Let's hope that Prince doesn't ruin our time together." He said, kissing her neck. She began to scrub across his shoulders with the bar of soap.

"I won't let that bastard get my little Siaratsuke in a bad mood." She said with a chuckle.

"Now, now, Temari. You know I don't like being called that." He said in a playfully scolding way.

"I know. It annoys the shit out of you, like this." She grasped his crotch, taking care not to apply excessive pressure.

"Well, I like this a lot better than you calling me Siaratsuke. How's this suit ya?" He began to thrust his pointer and middle finger in and out of her vagina. She moaned from the feeling, but grabbed his arm to cease the movement.

"Let's not do this now. Wait until later." Temari said. "It's a lot better when the situation is better planned."

"Note taken." Kyno replied with a smirk. They then began washing each other, which so happened to be one of the activities they longed to do with each other.

* * *

Fumatsuke knocked on the front door, only to be answered with silence. He tried again. And again, and again, and again, and with each new knock he questioned his logic to this matter.

_"If he didn't answer the first few times, he won't answer the next few times."_ He thought to himself. _"It's as simple as that, Fumatsuke. And it's not like the door is going to slide open, welcoming you in uninvited." _As if waiting for the best moment, the door did just that, sliding open the next time he knocked. Peering inside, nothing out of the ordinary caught his attention. The only thing that didn't seem familiar was that a giant fan lay on the couch. _"Temari." _With a bit of hesitation, he reluctantly stepped forward into the less than tidy house. He explored everywhere, hoping that some hint as to where Kyno was would make itself known. As fate would have it, he heard the shower going, and decided to head there. Maybe he could ask him from outside the door. _"I'm already doomed for entering without permission." _He made his way to the bathroom, taking care not to step over any of the scattered items strewn across the floor. _"Damn. He has got to clean up at some point. But if I tell him to, he'll most likely force me to. Better not mention it." _As he reached the bathroom door, he heard the shower turn off and towels being taken off the rack. Remembering that Kyno preferred to air dry rather than towel dry, he glanced inside.

"AHH! FUMATSUKE! GET THE FUCK OUT!" Kyno shouted. Fumatsuke shifted his head out of the doorway. What he saw was Temari and Kyno making out with their towels covering them. That explained why Temari's fan was on the couch. "What the fuck do you want, Fumatsuke?" Kyno asked from inside the bathroom.

"I was just checking to see if you were ready for the mission." He answered. "Why is Temari in there? Wasn't she gonna return to the Sand Village with Gaara and Kankuro?"

"That was until Lady Tsunade assigned me to the same mission as you, Kyno, and Matetso." Temari replied.

"Oh…" Fumatsuke brought an awkward silence to the hallway and bathroom. "Um…Did you happen to hear who else was on the mission?"

"Naruto and Sakura."

"Naruto?!" Yelled Kyno. You've gotta be kidding me! They let that little annoying bastard go on the mission?!"

"Don't yell. He was the only other available ninja in the village." Temari leaned up to kiss Kyno. She always did this calm him down, and it never failed her once.

"Fine. I guess he's not that weak."

"Whatever, I'm gonna go see if Matetso's ready. That should give you two some time to dry off and get dressed. Just don't get intimate, I'm pretty sure that we don't have much time before Miratachi arrives." Fumatsuke started walking down the hall, back to the front door. "And Temari!" He shouted back to her. "Nice tattoo!" Back in the bathroom, Temari looked at the tattoo she had on her right thigh, one that depicted a mermaid winking and flashing the peace symbol. She growled softly, not at all amused at Fumatsuke's discovery or the laughter coming from the living room.

* * *

"Ino! Get off!"

"Take me with you, please!" The blond yelled. Ino was clinging to Matetso after he told her about the mission. "Besides, your busy with training!"

"I don't care! I want to go with you! Screw training!" Fortunately for Matetso, Sakura had grabbed Ino's ankles and was attempting to pull her away.

"Step off, Ino-pig! You're not going!" She yelled.

"Let go, Billboard Forehead!" Ino retorted. Sakura had enough. She yanked Ino from her grasp on Matetso and threw her against the fence a few feet away. What happened next was frightening even to Matetso. She began pummeling Ino mercilessly. Punching, kicking, biting, whatever Sakura could do she did. She wasn't just angry, she was literally pushed to the edge of her temper, and Naruto and Matetso were glad that they weren't caught in the crossfire. By the time Sakura cooled down, Ino looked like she went ten rounds with all three Tainnin at once non-stop. The blond kunoichi appeared to be old cold, and Sakura just walked up like nothing happened.

"Now that that's over with, shall we?" She then began to walk in the same direction as before. Matetso and Naruto were still utterly astonished from the events that had just transpired. Sakura looked back at the two motionless shinobi, and sighed. "Guys, you coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Matetso said through a half chuckle. They caught up with her and continued to the Hokage's building. Naruto did take care not to get near Sakura or make her infuriated again. He remembered fondly of the uncountable times that Naruto made Sakura loose her temper. It never ended well. Matetso, however, barely gave any caution to the matter, really just admiring Sakura for her strength. "Man, you must've been training a lot since we left." He couldn't help himself from complimenting her. "What you did to Ino was just…"

"Awesome?" Naruto spoke. Matetso gritted his teeth and grabbed Naruto's wrist.

"Shut the fuck up, Naruto!" He then chucked Naruto against the fence, similar to what Sakura had just done with Ino. The only difference being that the fence broke apart upon impact. Pieces of wood flew everywhere, one actually striking Sakura in the forehead. "Sakura! Are you alright?" He knelt down beside her. The impact left a large red mark across her forehead, but it didn't appear to have done anything worse than a possible bruise. "Need a hand?" He held out his hand, and she gladly took hold of it.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Stings a bit. But was that really necessary to throw Naruto through the fence?"

"I guess I did get carried away. He just annoys the shit out of me sometimes." Matetso replied.

"No argument here. Um…Matetso? You're still holding my hand." Matetso looked down and, sure enough, their hands were still grasping the other's. He quickly withdrew it, flashing a nervous smile and blushing a bit. Same for Sakura.

"Uh…Sorry, didn't realize it. Um…should we get going?" He stated.

"Yes, you should." Came a voice from behind them. Matetso swirled around to find Fumatsuke, calm as always.

"Where's Kyno? Shouldn't he be heading to the Hokage Tower, too?" Sakura asked.

"He and Temari were just…freshening up. He'll meet us there." He answered. Matetso began stuttering something incoherently. "You're confused, I can tell."

"Yeah, it's not that hard to realize. Why is Temari still here? I thought that all three sand genin were going back to the Sand Village." He asked.

"Tsunade agreed to let her go on the mission. Remember that she needed six ninja? Take away three and three are left. Now, Naruto's been on any mission he can get his hands on. Who knows why Tsunade is letting him do that. By the way, where is he?" Matetso and Sakura instantly pointed at the broken fence. "Oh. We'll wake him later. Anyway, after him, anyone else available would be chosen, and I'm guessing Sakura here was chosen. With one spot remaining, Temari accepted. With that out of the way, shouldn't we be heading to the Hokage Tower?"

"That's what I just asked!" Replied Matetso. Just then, Naruto awoke and strode over to the group.

"What the hell, Matetso? I only finished your sentence for you." He spoke a bit groggily.

"I got carried away, alright? Let's just let it go." Matetso insisted. "Besides, we need to get to the Hokage Tower."

"Alright, I've heard that three times already." Sakura said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Let's just go there." They took her advice and began walking in the direction of their desired destination.

* * *

"Temari, stop it." Kyno said. Temari kept tousling his hair on the way to the Hokage Tower. "Seriously, stop it. I just washed it, and it's hair to get it the way I like it."

"You don't have to impress me." She replied with a small giggle. "I'm happy with any hair style you have."

"Oh really. If that's so, what's your favorite?" Kyno began to smile a bit.

"Probably bed-head."

"Really? Well, you don't look too bad with it, either. At least when you have it." They laughed and leaned in for a short kiss. The pair walked hand-in-hand through the streets, not at all bothered by the attention they were gathering. All they cared about was each other. That, and what they had planned for later. They passed by a local, and after Temari got a good look at it, she walked in that direction.

"I need to step in here quickly. Go on without me, I'll catch up." She said, waving to Kyno.

"Alright. See ya!" He waved back and resumed his pace. As he walked, he couldn't help but wonder what she had planned. _"Fruit? No, she isn't big on that sort of thing. Lube? Don't need that."_

**"UGH! Definitely don't need that! Unless of course you want your prostate stimulated."** Tainatsu brought up.

_"That's not really what I thought. Alright, what else? Um…Chocolate? Maybe."_

**"Why the hell would she buy chocolate?"**

_"It's an aphrodisiac, dumbass." _Without noticing, he was on a collision course with Fumatsuke. They collided, not aware of each other's presence.

"Watch where you're going, you- Oh, it's Kyno." Fumatsuke realized.

"Who were you expecting, Princess Koyuki?" Kyno replied. "We shouldn't be wasting time, guys. We need to-"

"DON"T SAY IT!" Matetso and Sakura said at the same time. "We know." They just resumed their walking, not speaking much. They didn't need any added stress, and from the repetition of words that Sakura and Matetso went through, that couldn't be any closer to the truth.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, that's not really fair." Shizune stated.

"It's out of our hands, Shizune. He's a Prince, and if he's not treated as such, he'll punish us accordingly. This is something he's accustomed with, and he most assuredly will expect us to have it ready."

"But Lady Tsunade, that's the kind of labor that slaves should be doing. The Tainnin aren't pack-mules, they're highly skilled shinobi."

"Enough, Shizune!" Tsunade roared. "There's no way around, just as there's no way around the respect he'll give us in return. That's how he is, and we just have to take." Just then, the door opened to reveal the Tainnin, Sakura, and Naruto. "Ah, you're here. Good timing, Prince Miratachi should be here anytime from what I hear. Where's Temari?"

"She's needed to pick up a few things. She'll be here any-" Kyno was cut off by Temari jumping on his back.

"I'm here. Did ya miss me?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Replied Kyno. After Temari got off his back, their attitudes changed back to seriousness.

"We're all ready." Pronounced Fumatsuke. "Is there anything else we need to know beforehand?" Before Tsunade could answer, a figure walked into view from the doorway. Once the six shinobi shifted their gaze in the opposite direction, the stranger spoke.

"How uncivilized. These aren't my bodyguards, are they?" It was none other than Prince Miratachi.

* * *

_I put a lot of work and passion in this one. Remember some parts in this. It'll be important to depicting what will happen later. I'm guaranteed you'll enjoy it. Little spoiler. The next chapter will be about what this story is actually about. It'll help you guys understand what the storyline will include. R&R!_

_Press this little button and tell me what you think about the story._

V


	6. The Dark Strategy

_Didn't take me that long this time, did it? I really think this will help most of you understand what the real plot will be. I am glad for the introduction into the other characters. Took me a bit to make them names for the...well you'll find out. Here's chapter six!_

* * *

Chapter 6

The Dark Strategy

"The Prince has arrived at the Leaf Village." Spoke the calmly voiced stranger. "He doesn't appear to be exercising much caution."

"Of course he isn't." Spoke a second person. "Weren't you paying attention to what Tsunade said? Miratachi is being protected by the most powerful shinobi that the village can muster."

"The Tainnin?" Spoke a third figure.

"Yes."

"But…" The first started. "Weren't they posing as mercenaries elsewhere?"

"That was true until about a few days ago. They returned to the village for relaxation, and the timing couldn't have been better for Prince Miratachi."

"That explains extensive protection." Said the third. "But Tsunade needed six shinobi. Who are the other three?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Temari."

"Temari…" The third said. "The sister of Gaara of the Sand?"

"Yes." Answered the second. He then performed a hand-sign, and Temari's image in the middle of the three. "She wields a giant fan. Because of this, she specializes in wind style jutsus, like the Wind Scythe Jutsu. It's capable of shredding anything within a given distance."

"What about that Haruno girl?" Asked the first. Once again, the second used the hand-sign, and Temari's image faded. Sakura's came into view a second later.

"Sakura Haruno. She's not much a threat. Because of her medical training, she might be a bit of a nuisance during the mission. She's been learning from Tsunade. Since she's still an apprentice, she hasn't learned anything more than the basics and a few advanced procedures."

"And Naruto…" Whispered the first. As a force of habit, the second used the same jutsu for the third time. Naruto's image took the place of Sakura's within a few seconds. "He's the key. His demon chakra is what we require."

"We don't know that yet." Interjected the third. "The piece of the prophecy that we have only holds first half." He grabbed hold of something behind him and slammed it down in front of him. It was a stone tablet with illuminated writing. "'Unimaginable power; unlocked by one, wielded by three.' As far as we know, the Tainnin could find the other half, the half that possibly holds how to destroy it."

"But for now…" Started the second. "We just let everything fall into place. Once the final step is initiated, we can unlock and acquire it."

"What does the prophecy mean?" Asked the first. "The part saying 'unlocked by one'."

"Naruto's demon fox energy." Answered the second. "The seal is only broken by an immense chakra level. The only two sources with chakra that potent is the Nine-Tailed Fox and Matetso."

"So, why not use Matetso's chakra?"

"Because Matetso is able to resist. It would be impossible to restrain his power for long enough to access his chakra. Not only that, but his two demons would make such attempts a fool's game." He said. He finished his sentence by creating Zamaka and Toratsu's images with the same jutsu as before. Zamaka appeared to be a great deal similar to Matetso, only with features of aging at least twenty years. Toratsu had aqua green hair, wore a green bra and loincloth combination, and was covered with a transparent green veil.

"A shadow demon and a cosmos demon." Said the third. "That degree of power would be impossible to restrain."

"Exactly why Naruto is our target factor. His normal strength levels are low. That being said, accessing his Nine-Tailed Fox chakra will be remarkably simple. All that's needed is his capture."

"And what bout Miratachi?" Asked the first.

"What about him?" Replied the third.

"We agreed with the assassins that the Prince's capture could be initiated at the same time they bring Naruto to us."

"They will receive their cut of the deal. We must make absolutely sure that they understand. We must discuss the plans with them." In an instant, the three disappeared into thin air.

* * *

The small group of assassins sat, patiently waiting for the arrival of the individuals who hired them. The surrounding bushes and trees hid the small clearing. Their equipment was safely concealed, so as to not gain the attention of wandering eyes. A panic was not something they wanted at the time. It was still in the middle of the day, and they were anxious to return to their hideout before nightfall, or before they were noticed for that matter.

"When the hell are they gonna be here?! I'm fucking tired of waiting!" Said one of them.

"Shut the fuck up, Akarocho!" Said the female of the group. "We don't want any attention brought to us. We already have enough bounties on our head, and if anyone found out we're here, we're screwed."

"I know, Kichinara. I'm just tired of fucking waiting this long."

"Tired of waiting or not," Spoke the third assassin. "They aren't here. So just calm down and wait patiently."

"Oh, and how do you keep yourself so occupied, Taranetsu? You're always complaining on how fucking annoying a boring everything is." Taranetsu just looked up slightly from his dark skulking.

"I don't let things get to me. I try not to let things annoy or bore me. It's not exactly entertaining, but it's better than acting like a spoiled brat who knows several words of profanity. You, on the other hand, act just like that child. You complain and complain. It'll never do you any good." Taranetsu then sat back against the tree he was leaning on. His long black hair covered his face, concealing the various features and facial expressions.

"Whatever. I'm still getting a little impatient." Akarocho spoke, straining himself not to loose his anger and swear madly.

"Same here." Said Kichinara. "And Taranetsu, it wouldn't kill you to act more lively. You're kinda bringing some bad vibes down around here."

"Does it really matter?" He asked. "Soon, we're going to be taking orders from some group who we don't even know. Sounds to me like that either way, all three of us will be in a negative mood. Well, at least you two. As long as we're getting paid, I couldn't care less about who's hiring us or what they're making us do." Kichinara sighed at Taranetsu's comment.

"You two can be such drags, you know that? Either bitching about all the time or making everyone else feel lower than shit."

"Doesn't sound like you're quite a team." Said a voice behind them. Akarocho and Kichinara spun around to see, while Taranetsu just opened his eyes slightly. The three individuals who hired them stood on the other edge of the clearing. "Perhaps we should allow someone else to act out the job we put forward." Now that the three assassins received a clear view of the three, they saw they were wearing Akatsuki robes.

"Akatsuki?! You didn't tell us you were in the Akatsuki, Dante!" Shouted Akarocho. Kichinara just slapped him across the face, imposing silence.

"Quiet! Let me think for a second…Dante…Zamatsu…and Senitzu, right?" The three Akatsuki members nodded. "Okay. Anyway, we didn't expect to be caught in the crossfire of the Akatsuki and their plans. We don't exactly want to capture that Nine-Tailed brat for your whole 'world domination scheme'."

"That's a shame." Said Senitzu. "We only require that Naruto is captured and brought to us, and with your strength it should be a trivial task. We don't need anything across those lines."

"Wait a minute, Kichinara. Come here." Akarocho ushered her to follow him. They walked a few steps away from Dante, Zamatsu, and Senitzu. "I thought we were supposed to be trying to capture Miratachi." He whispered.

"That is true." Said Zamatsu, who suddenly appeared beside them. "You were originally paid to capture and eliminate Prince Miratachi. It was a day after the deal that Kichinara came across our path. We had heard the rumors of a group of mercenaries called the Twilight Slayers. We figured that they could assist us in our endeavor. We sought out their hired hand, and if luck would have, Kichinara happened to walk right across our path."

"Is that right, Kichinara?" Asked Taranetsu from across the clearing. Kichinara hung her held lower than thought possible.

"Yes. Dante asked me if they could hire us. I knew that we were already assigned to killing the Prince, but he said that their mission happened to be connected to ours." Taranetsu looked over at Senitzu, hoping for a confirmation of Kichinara's tale.

"That is true." The Akatsuki member answered. "We required a group of capable mercenaries. Not like one of those second rate novices, going around and showing off their abilities to get noticed. They are the ones who are too weak to get work by their record alone. No, we needed mercenaries like you, known in a good amount of area for your success as A-class criminals. The job we have is important. It's nothing we can trust with other mercenaries."

"Listen." Akarocho interrupted. "We didn't wait all this time to hear some shit about why you wanted us to do your fucking dirty work. We wanna know what you want us to do. You bastards better spill it before I spill your blood all over my spears."

"Well, you're quite the powerhouse, aren't you?" Mocked Zamatsu, not at all fazed by the assassin's threat. Enraged, Akarocho lunged forward at Zamatsu, a spear in each hand. The tips were larger than normal spearheads. The Akatsuki member didn't moved an inch, and didn't have one bit of concern anywhere on his face. Like it happened in a split second, Akarocho was crying out in pain. He collapsed in a heap, while at the same time, Zamatsu stood behind him, blue lightning erupting out of his palm. It faded as he lowered his hand yet again to his side. "Pathetic. Simply pathetic. Very simple jutsu, and yet you succumb to it so much."

"You call the Chidori a simple jutsu?!" Kichinara yelled, kneeling at her comrade's side.

"Simple for us. We're from the Akatsuki, my dear." Said Senitzu. Kichinara scowled at being called 'his dear'. "You'll have to accustom yourself to it. A member of the Tainnin knows it and several variations at that."

"The Tainnin?" Taranetsu shot up from his sitting position. "Those brats? You aren't telling me that those little bastards are the ones protecting the Prince?"

"Exactly." Dante answered. "You seem to have a problem. Care to elaborate?"

"Those three left us with no work. They were staying in a town we were currently positioned in. At first, no one knew who they were. They were nobodies, and that was more convenient for us…until they received a few missions. And from what we heard about it, they were difficult. We could've handled them, sure. But at the time, we were preoccupied with something else." Akarocho coughed a few times, throwing in 'strip clubs' as a hint. Taranetsu just scowled more than he already was. "Once they received more missions, the Tainnin got a bit famous around the small town. No one else came to us unless it was a simple task, or the Tainnin weren't available. They raked in loads of money in that town alone, add to that all the cash they got in other towns. We had enough by that point. The only way we thought of settling it was killing them in battle. We challenged them and lost. They didn't kill us in turn, saying we weren't worth it. They left the next day. We got more work after that, but we still never got over what the Tainnin did."

"What a grudge. That could benefit us. A hatred against the Tainnin might just help you defeat them."

"How do you expect us to kick their asses?" Interjected Akarocho. "We had _our _asses handed to us when we faced them. There's no way we can show those brats a lesson."

"Oh, but there is." Senitzu said with a smirk. "All you need is some special training."

"What kind of training? We don't really have time for anything long-term." Kichinara nagged. The three Akatsuki members looked at each other and nodded. They formed a circle and began performing numerous hand-signs at high speeds. After half a minute of silence, the final seal was formed on their hands. A quiet high-pitched humming enveloped the clearing. A green glowing symbol appeared within the space provided. Dante, Zamatsu and Senitzu become three points on its perimeter. Lines came from the outside circle coming to rest at three circles inside. The three Akatsuki members remained in their positions, holding the seal and staring forward into the symbol.

"Get in each of the circles." Senitzu instructed. As Akarocho, Kichinara, and Taranetsu did so, Senitzu turned to the others. "You two remember the incantation?" They nodded. By then, the three assassins were in place. They seemed a bit suspicious of what strange bit of activity was going to take place. Dante, Zamatsu, and Senitzu placed each of their hands on a part of the circle, and as a reaction, it slowly began to change from green to dark red. They began the incantation, speaking as one.

_Sdnim rieht, ti htiw dna_

_Yawa edaf lliw rewop, liaf yeht dluohs_

_Noissim rieht rof htgnerts niag lliw eerht esoht_

_Tsissa ot eerht_

_Rewop niag ot eerht  
_

Once the whole symbol was engulfed in a dark red glow, the three assassins cried out in pain, which was ceased by the fading of the light. They fell to their knees, panting from what they felt. It was pain unlike they have ever experienced. At the same time, it felt...enjoyable. Something seemed different.

"What the fuck was that?!" Akarocho yelled. "What the fuck did you do to us?!"

"Calm down." Senitzu reassured him. "A jolt of pain for that long seems like a fair price to pay for heightened strength."

"What do you mean, 'heightened'?" Taranetsu asked. Senitzu looked to Dante and Zamatsu, who nodded. They jumped out of the way, grabbing the other two assassins, leaving Taranetsu. Senitzu then brought one finger to his temple and shifted his gaze to a nearby tree. Without warning, it was ripped out of the ground, roots and all, and hurled at Taranetsu. Senitzu switched to using a quick jutsu to trap Taranetsu's feet in ice. His eyes widened in terror, but something quickly swept over him. He performed a few hand-signs, and suddenly, a sphere of water engulfed the tree. Right after, the sphere crushed the tree so roughly that the residue was mostly pieces less than the size of a fingernail. The three assassins were shocked. Even Taranetsu had a difficult time processing what had happen just moments before.

"The jutsu provided you with increased strength, new abilities and advanced chakra control. It'll be essential to the mission. You're not capable of defeating the Tainnin alone. This way, it is now possible." The three assassins, as if under control, stood in a line facing the Akatsuki members. They nodded. "Now that your strength is received and your mission is in sight, go. Go fulfill your duties." With their order given, they leapt through the trees, content in finding a surveillance point.

"The Tainnin's fates are sealed. ...And so is the rest of the world." Stated Dante with a small smirk. With their dark strategy in motion, they teleported back to the hideout. The wind silently blew across the forest. A few leaves fell off the trees, only to be blown away by the wind. The assassins kept at a steady pace, the thought of their enemy's blood spilt bringing a smirk to each of their faces.

* * *

_Wow. This sure did surprise some of you. By the way, the 'thing' they were talking about? Think about it. What's the title of the story? You can guess what their going after. Details later about it. BTW the way, I dare you to find out what the incantation says and email me the answer. A special prize will be waiting. Hope you enjoyed this. Please review it. I put a lot of work into this story, and I really wanna know what people think of it. Anyway, next chapter will be longer. This chapter was just here to start off the real plot. And I promise you, something interesting will come that directly ties to something in chapter 5. Chapter seven coming ASAP. Shadow shinobi out!_


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